Written in the Stars
by EternalEclipse
Summary: Remus is assigned to be Eve’s partner for an Astronomy project. They begin as strangers, and then slowly become friends. What happens when they both begin to fancy one another? Only the stars know what the future holds for Remus and Eve. Read and review!
1. The First Meeting

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Hello, all! Any and all reviews and constructive criticism (but no flames, please) are more than welcome, as I am an aspiring writer. This fanfiction is just a little something that came from the thought, _What if Remus Lupin had a girlfriend back in his Hogwarts days? What would she be like? What would their relationship be like? How would everything play out?_ Also, this fanfiction may be AU, and is rated T for humor, language, and couple-like activities.

I hope you enjoy reading this fanfiction as much as I've enjoyed writing it! Please check back every Sunday, as I will do my best to update each week.

**Readers beware of spoilers from any of the **_**Harry Potter**_** books in this fanfiction.**

**Publish Date:** Sunday, December 23, 2007.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter One: The First Meeting

Upon hearing the words that felt as harsh as fingernails scraping down a blackboard to his ears, Remus's quill screeched to a halt on the parchment, and he registered what the Astronomy professor had just said:

"You will each be working with one partner for your next project."

Finally snapping out of his horror-struck daze, Remus glanced down at the parchment to see that a little pool of ebony was widening from the tip of his quill, obscuring some of the notes he'd just taken.

"Bugger," he muttered as he blotted the puddle up with the tip of his multi-stained plume. As he was blowing the ink dry, he couldn't help but overhear his friends quietly bickering from across the aisle.

"You know what this means, right?" Peter whispered as he jabbed a meaty thumb into his well-padded chest. "He's got to be _my_ partner; I need this grade the most!"

"Shove off, Wormtail," James hissed, giving his friend a light push. "Mum will kill me if I do poorly in another class!"

"Since when have _you_ ever cared about what your mum thought?" Sirius retorted, poking his best mate on the shoulder.

Remus sighed and shook his head, strands of his tawny hair falling into his eyes as he did so. As usual, they were arguing over whom would have him as a project partner. As if it weren't bad enough that his friends knew and took advantage of the fact that he was the most studious and grade-conscious of the Marauders, they also found ways to get him to do all the work and share the credit.

The whole idea annoyed Remus to no end, of course. Who wouldn't be frustrated if their own friends took advantage of them? He loved them dearly, though at times, such as when it came to academics, they had a tendency to become deadweight. But, as always, he would let them slack off and take more than their fair share of credit in the 

end. They were his best friends in the whole world, and that was saying something considering the nature of his condition. He couldn't let them go; after all, whom else could he turn to? Sure he had other friends, but he wasn't as close to them as he was to the Marauders, and none of them knew he was a werewolf.

Rubbing his temples as he squeezed his coffee-hued eyes shut against the bickering, Remus turned the issue over in his mind. They had done an awful lot for him in the past; they'd kept his secret, continued to be his friends, and turned into animagi for his sake. Well, when he thought about it like _that_… He figured that a little stress and hard work on his part wouldn't be all that much compared through what they'd gone through for him.

Feeling a quick tap on his shoulder made Remus's hand drop from his face, and he turned to look over his shoulder. He saw Sirius grinning sheepishly, with Peter and James glaring knives at the back of his head.

"Moony, ol' chum, ol' pal, wouldn't you _much_ rather have your best mate Padfoot for your project part- OW!" Sirius clutched the back of his head as he swiveled around in time to see James retract a notebook. A pair of particularly attractive girls who sat just behind James giggled, sliding Sirius deeper into an increasingly unpleasant mood. _No one_ made him look bad in front of girls.

Another bought of quarrelling ensued, causing Remus to groan in frustration and drop his head onto the desk. Ah, yes, another day in the life of the werewolf…

"_However_-" The word from Professor Sinistra sliced through the fight like a dagger through cream. When she gained the attention of the class once again, she continued, "However, seeing as there are _certain_ students in this class who feel it necessary to take no part in the assignment until credit is granted, I'm afraid I'm left with no choice but to _assign_ partners for this project." She had walked up the aisle the Marauders were bordering and authoritatively gazed down her long nose at them as she said this.

The faces of the three disputing young men fell, and the rest of the class groaned in unison at the news. Who wanted to be assigned a partner they didn't like or know?

Across the classroom, a witch sat bent over two parchments. Her head was bowed low, causing her chocolate-hued curls to curtain her mad scribbling. One parchment was partially covered with notes that had been verbalized by the professor within the first eight minutes of class. The second parchment was an enchanted two-way that was overflowing with ink, discreet conversations with her best friend, Anna, successfully luring her attention away from her Astronomy class. Usually Eve wasn't so easily distracted from what her professors were saying, but, then again, exciting goings-on didn't occur every day.

**He asked me to the ball on Halloween! How amazing is that?**

_**That's great, Anna! Just be careful, though;**_

Eve paused for a moment in her writing to glance up. A few desks behind Anna, she saw that the boy in question was chatting up a very enthused girl.

_**I hear Derek is a bit of a flirt.**_

No, no, I'm positive it's different with me, Eve. You should've seen the way he smiled at me; I thought I was going to melt on the spot!

Eve shook her head and sighed. Anna was a poor judge of character when it came to boys, and her best friend knew that this wouldn't end well. How could it when she was after a boy who was known for not-so discreetly courting more than one girl at a time, and then dumping them like yesterday's rubbish once he got bored with them to go hunting for new eye ornaments to hang on his arms? Then again, Anna, herself, wasn't much better, seeing as she had a fickle heart when it came to relationships.

__

_**Just… promise me you'll be careful, Anna.**_

**Promise. Oh! It looks as if there's a fight of some kind breaking out between the pranksters. I wonder what they're arguing about?**

The brunette lifted her dull gray eyes to view the amusing sight and, chuckling, offered:

_**They're probably fighting over who they feel is the best looking of the bunch.**_

**If that's the case, I can end it for them- Sirius, most definitely.**

Ah, yes, there went Anna again, always going for the ones who most likely wouldn't remain loyal.

"Hmm," Eve softly murmured to herself, beginning to idly doodle little flowers and swirls and hearts… before hearing what Professor Sinistra said.

_**Oh, come on! As if we need to be babied like that!**_

The professor promptly spun on her magenta heel and clicked her way back to her desk, where a fat roll of parchment sat. Sliding her violet, slanted glasses that hung on a decorated silver chain up to the bridge of her nose, Professor Sinistra cleared her throat.

Peter began bouncing in anticipation in his seat with his fingers crossed and eyes squeezed shut, muttering to himself, "Please let me and Moony be partners, please let me and Moony be partners!"

"Sirius Black and Anna Twitter," the professor announced.

Eve watched from her seat as Sirius swiveled around in his chair, tilted his head to flick his dark bangs out of his eyes, smiled, and winked at the blonde. Anna giggled and gave him a smile and a dainty wave in greeting.

Doing her best to ignore the common sight that was Sirius Black's flirting, the professor coughed low in her throat and continued reading, "Severus Snape and James Potter."

Severus, who had been subtly admiring the view Lily Evans created as she bent over to pick up her fallen quill, gawked first at the woman's horrible judgment in partner pairing, and then at the prospect of having to work with _Potter_, of all people.

"_What?!_" James yelped, rising from his seat so quickly that his chair overturned with a loud clatter.

Glaring at the disruption in her classroom, Professor Sinistra pursed her excessively lipsticked mouth and clicked a couple steps closer to the nuisance before gravely telling him, "Mr. Potter, if you speak out of turn once more, I shall be forced to give you detention and take thirty points from Gryffindor."

"I don't care! I'd rather take a detention than a project with _Snivellus_." With that, he gathered his belongings and stormed out of the classroom, slamming the door shut on his way out. The undeterred professor pulled out a scrap of parchment from her desk and scratched a few words down while reciting the next set of names.

"Derek Gotter and Cynthia Young."

Cynthia's mouth scrunched up, making her look as though she'd just tasted a lemon. She'd have to spend the next thirty days working alongside _that_ toe scum? Ugh, she didn't even know why she had agreed to court him in the first 

place; he was forever making eyes with other girls, flirting with anything in a skirt, and prematurely making moves on her! She'd dumped him two weeks ago, when she realized that he was no good.

Derek, on the other hand, looked pleased with this arrangement, and smoothed over his dark locks and grinned at her. He, with his rounded face and slightly immature features, wasn't as handsome as the oh-so-famous Sirius Black was, but he was charming with the ladies, and that usually worked. His ex-girlfriend rolled her eyes at his display and crossed her arms before shifting in her seat to pointedly look away.

Anna grew scarlet and looked less than amused at this pairing, as she knew that they had once been a couple. She had begun to write something to Eve on the two-way parchment, but she was so infuriated that she applied too much pressure on her quill and snapped the tip clean off. Pulling the embedded quill point out from the parchment, she glared at it and chucked it, hitting the professor by mistake.

Professor Sinistra blinked and jerked to one side ungracefully, making her look like an uncoordinated centaur attempting to do the jig. She looked around the classroom for the student responsible for hitting her with… whatever it was, and saw Anna attempting to shield her face and a curious slice of parchment with an open book.

"Miss Twitter, do keep your possessions to yourself; it would be a pity to take points from Ravenclaw for your carelessness."

Anna nodded her head quickly and slid down a little in her seat.

Sniffing the air haughtily and repositioning her glasses on the bridge of her nose, Professor Sinistra took up her parchment once again.

"Remus Lupin and Eve Pankhart."

Remus, who had been looking increasingly relieved as each of the Marauders were partnered up with other students, felt a wave of release break over him. As he looked up, he noticed that his partner was looking over her shoulder at him. Their eyes met, and they each smiled before Eve offered a polite wave and turned back around to face the front of the classroom.

Well, this would be a refreshing and long-overdue change, unless she neglected to carry her own weight in the project. Remus's temples throbbed dully at the notion, and he massaged the stress away as he assured himself that this had to be better than working with a fellow Marauder. His belief was solidified even more when Peter groaned and began scowling at Eve's back.

It didn't take long before the entire class was paired off and the Professor began filling the students in on the details of the assignment, strutting the aisles of the classroom while doing so. "Your projects will be due in precisely one month. The project itself is up to you. In the past, I've had students create models of the universe and moon phases; write histories of specific stars, constellations, and planets; and chart which constellations and stars can be seen at specific times throughout the year. The choice is yours. My only requirement, however, is that it looks like a well-thought-out presentation that took a month to complete, not just something thrown together the night before." She shot a glare in Peter's direction, and he slid down in his seat so far that his bulbous nose sat on his desk.

After a pause, she waved her arms in the air and announced, "Class dismissed."

Eve watched as Anna scooped up her books and became acquainted with Sirius, who seemed pleased as punch to meet her. After seeing the two walk off together, chatting away, she decided to do the same with her partner, seeing as they'd be spending quite a bit of time with one another over the next month.

Once her books were packed neatly away inside her book bag, Eve pulled a curl out of her face and followed a pack of students, including Remus, out of the classroom. When the knot of people finally dissipated, she hustled to get her 

short legs to catch up with the stride of the young man's long ones. A little out of breath by the time she got to him, she extended a hand and said, "Hello. I know we're in the same house and year and whatnot, but I don't think we've ever been properly introduced. I'm Eve."

With a courteous smile and a gentlemanly tip of his head, the boy shook her hand and replied, "I'm Remus."


	2. The Lovers

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** I'd just like to take the time to say thanks to all who left a review (keep 'em coming, everyone!), and put me on their favorites list and story alert; I truly appreciate it. It really means a lot to me that people like my writing so much. Please continue to leave reviews, as it definitely helps me continue writing fanfiction!

**Readers beware of spoilers from any of the **_**Harry Potter**_** books in this fanfiction.**

**Publish Date:** Sunday, December 30, 2007.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Two: The Lovers

_Hmm… That's odd,_ Eve thought as she scanned the cards on the table before her, adjusting her black, thick-framed reading glasses as she did so. _The theme of this reading is... emotion._

Well, that was it; the seventeen-year-old witch was stumped. Remus and she had agreed to meet in the library at precisely one o'clock that day and, since she'd gotten her homework for the weekend done early, she decided to wait for him at a table by the entrance at quarter past twelve. Of course, she wanted to keep herself occupied, so she brought her tarot cards with her and decided to do a reading before her partner showed up.

She'd shut her eyes and breathed deeply while mentally repeating the theme for the reading over and over, holding the cards between her palms. _What lies ahead of Remus and me for this project?_ She'd then shuffled, curious to see whether they'd do well on the project and get along, or if the whole thing would go up in smoke.

The first card drawn was to represent their project and how it would turn out; it was the Ace of Chalices. _Well, that's good,_ Eve thought to herself. _The project will be creative, and, what's more, a friendship will develop between us. That should be nice._

The second card was meant to illustrate any obstacles, if any, that might spring up between Remus and her that may block their progress on the project or to-be friendship. The witch felt it may be good to know now so she could avoid it, if possible, when it came to fruit. She drew an upside-down Six of Chalices. Furrowing her eyebrows, Eve pondered for a moment. _Um, the reversed Six of Chalices… That's… the reversed Six of Chalices is… negative… somehow…_ She picked up her book bag and dug through it for a little before finding her Divinations textbook entitled: _Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks_. Flipping through it, she quickly found the page that gave interpretations and meanings to the Six of Chalices.

"Here it is," she muttered to herself, shifting her glasses along the bridge of her nose. "'The upside-down Six of Chalices represents one who lives not in the present, but in the past. In this case, the person in question either recalls upon the past because of its ability to soothe him or her in difficult situations taking place in the present, or feels that things are currently happening or shouldn't be because of what occurred in the past.'"

Eve slowly shut the book, deep in thought. _Alright… So, our friendship is going to be halted… by a past event? Hmm… What could it be?_ While she didn't know the first thing about Remus, though the two had interacted 

throughout their stay at Hogwarts, she certainly knew a thing or two about herself, and so she delved deep into her memory bank to see if there was something that would become a hurtle they'd have to find a way to jump over. Unless the facts that she was a muggle-born and her father still wasn't supportive of her being a witch would be obstacles, she couldn't see what would become a roadblock in their blossoming friendship.

Trying to push the particularly painful latter thought from the folds of her mind as she didn't see how they would have any affect on Remus and her, Eve decided that she ought to draw a third card to show her how to get over this little set-back, and pulled out the Four of Chalices. _Why do I keep pulling Chalices?_ She inquired to herself before putting the card back into the deck, shuffling it thoroughly, and trying again. After fanning the cards out facedown on the table, she plucked a card out again and gaped at it.

It was the Four of Chalices again.

It was blatantly obvious to the young witch at that point that she needed to pay close attention to this reading. _The Four of Chalices… that's… that means that, uh… something needs to be rethought and… and reevaluated… I think._

She referred to her textbook to make sure that she was at least somewhat accurate, and found, to her extreme liking, that she was. So… something from one of their pasts was going to pop up at some point, and they were going to have to work through it… by rethinking something? That was a bit of a difficult idea to grasp, and she massaged her forehead with the pads of her fingertips. She knew she wasn't a professional tarot card reader, but every spread had to make sense at one point, right?

She sighed and checked the time. Ten minutes until one o'clock, just enough time for one more card. _Alright,_ she thought to herself. _If nothing else, please let the answer to this question be blatantly obvious. What will come of this project?_ With that, she drew her final card and gasped as she flipped it over.

_The Lovers?!_ She exclaimed in her head. _Well… I suppose the moral to this reading is, 'be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.' That was blunt enough for a troll to comprehend!_

"I'm sensing love is in your future?" Came a chuckle from behind the witch. Shifting quickly in her chair, she caught sight of the amused face of Remus Lupin. Pulling her glasses down her nose, her gray eyes darted quickly to the clock, and she took note that he was precisely seven minutes early.

"Oh, uh…" She looked down at her spread before returning her gaze to his. "You understand tarot, too?" She realized after a moment that that was a dumb thing to say, seeing as anyone who took Divinations would know how to read tarot cards.

Shaking his head, he placed his armful of books on the table and drew up a seat. "Well, some of the tarot cards. It's not really my favorite subject, so I'm not as enthusiastic about it as I am with other classes, but I do understand the meaning of some of the cards. Take The Lovers for example, it's obviously about relationships and such, since the title and illustration of the couple are so straightforward." He fell silent for a moment, and then piped back up again when he noticed that she was gathering the tarot cards to put them away. "If I may ask, what were you doing a reading for, anyway?"

"Oh… nothing," Eve lied. "I'm just keeping my intuition sharp. You know, by reciting the meanings of the cards and stuff." As if she'd really tell someone she only recently met that she drew The Lovers when asking what would become of them.

Trying to make a little small talk, seeing as it wouldn't hurt for them to get to know each other during the course of the project, Remus leaned forward onto the polished wooden table and asked curiously, "Are you preparing to become a Divinations professor after you graduate?"

Surprised by his question, Eve blinked. She'd never even taken the idea into consideration. Her enjoyment of tarot and palm reading had only begun sometime during her sixth year. She took an interest in it when she found that she had a bit of a knack with it, and that it was actually quite fun to be able to predict the future, even though she wasn't nearly as good as a professional psychic was. She'd quickly discovered that she was slowly but surely getting better at it the longer she practiced.

"No," she replied at last. "No, tarot is just a hobby of mine. I'd actually like to become a Healer after I graduate." A pause, and then the obligatory, "How about you? What are _you_ planning to become after graduation?"

Remus coughed into his free elbow and, as if he hadn't heard her, inquired, "So, do you have any ideas for our Astronomy project?" Truth be told, he'd thought about becoming a professor at Hogwarts, since it seemed to be the only place a werewolf would be accepted, even if that tidbit was the most guarded secret against the vast majority of those who attended. He wouldn't mind teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, seeing as that was a subject he did marvelously in, adored, and the opportunity would be present to teach the next generation the truth about werewolves. Maybe then, in the future, werewolves would be accepted in the magical community, and he wouldn't have to worry about discrimination or finding a suitable job that would keep a roof over his head, clothes on his body, and food in his stomach.

However, he couldn't count on having much of a career in the future, given the fact that he was a werewolf. As such, he regrettably believed that he'd have to live off of his parents' money in between whatever pitiful jobs would be temporarily thrown his way, if any.

Eve's quiet voice sliced through his thoughts and whisked him back to the present. "Well… Professor Sinistra mentioned something about recording the history of a celestial body, so I thought that would be relatively simple to do. The only thing is that it would be remarkably boring, doing all that research and writing, and there wouldn't be much for us to look forward to. I'm not saying that homework is always fun, but since the choice is up to us, I think we'd rather decide upon something that we're looking forward to working on and are proud to present rather than something that makes us go, 'Ugh!'"

Remus chuckled a little bit at the disgusted expression that scrunched Eve's face up as she said, "Ugh!" in a deep voice. She did have a point, though; they may as well put the effort into something they'd _like_ to do than feel like they need to force themselves to work on it, like many other projects felt like, especially since their options were wide open with the vague assignment description their instructor left them with.

Bringing his hand up to his mouth, he fiddled with his lower lip between his thumb and forefinger for a little while thinking. "You're right, it would be quite boring to just write something up. Perhaps if we did something more… more original, more creative… something that she's never had handed in as a project before."

Eve nodded and rested her elbow on the table while pressing her forehead into the connected palm. Hmm… What to do… What to do…

Her partner snapped his fingers in triumph. "How about we _make up_ our own planet? Think about it; we could create the universe and history of it from scratch and make it inhabitable and everything."

The witch thought about it for a moment before a smile bloomed on her face. "That sounds like a great idea, Remus. Why, we could make up constellations that surround it and what times of the year they could be seen from the planet, we could come up with an evolutionary timeline and a story on how the planet was created… Ooh, we can even create a few moons to revolve around the planet!"

"No moons," Remus quickly protested with a shake of his head. Merlin, it was difficult enough for him to keep up with one moon, he couldn't imagine living on such a planet and dealing with multiple moons. For once, he'd like to be free to imagine a planet with no moons, one where he could escape to in his mind's eye, and one on which he would be safe.

Arching an inquisitive brow, Eve asked, "Why not?"

"Because," he began, trying to think up a quick reason, "I just… think that… maybe it would be expected of us to… give a detailed history for each of the moons, as well, when the planet's history will take enough time to come up with as it is."

Eve turned this idea over in her mind before nodding in agreement. "You're right. That _would_ be far too much work to do in one month. Besides, we'll have enough on our hands with the new planet we'll be creating from scratch. However, I think that maybe we should, in addition to the written portion of the assignment, make a model of the universe our planet is in, and include stars and other planets, even though we'll only be discussing our planet in the recorded history. What do you think?"

Bobbing his head, Remus replied, "That sounds good. It would also be a good idea if we enchanted the model so that the planets rotate and revolve on their own."

Smiling triumphantly, Eve said, "I believe we have ourselves a project. First, we should come up with a name. May I suggest sticking with the custom tradition of naming the planet after a mythological figure, like the planets in our universe?"

With a smirk, the young man couldn't help but jest, "Sounds fine by me, though I don't think 'Planet Remus' quite has that ring to it."

"Oh, ha, ha, ha. The myth of Romulus and Remus… Very funny." Eve ripped off a corner of parchment sticking out of her book bag, balled it up, and playfully chucked it at the boy sitting across from her. Remus chuckled and swatted the ball away.

"You two! Drop the shenanigans and throw that out!" The librarian scolded from her seat behind a large wooden desk. She lowered her glasses down her long, hooked nose and glared at the pair as Eve made a move to reach for the parchment.

"No, here, allow me. I probably deserved it, anyway, for telling that corny joke," Remus grinned at her before bending over, retrieving the sphere of parchment, and walking over to the nearest trash receptacle to toss it.

Really, all Remus was trying to do on their first project meeting was get them to be comfortable with each other. That was why he was making small talk, cracking some cheesy jokes, and getting her to laugh, so they wouldn't be so stiff and formal around each other and would be more apt to be casual and open to one another. This, he reasoned, would make the project much easier to complete, and maybe he'd find a new friend in her by the time it was all over with.

After returning to the table, he didn't take a seat. Instead, he leaned down to suggest to the witch, "Perhaps we should start compiling books we think will help us with the project now, and before we meet here again, we should bookmark the pages with useful information. How does that sound?" Even though they were creating a planet of their own, he felt that if they had an outline of what they should write about in the history of their planet as well as an idea of how to create the model of it, they could make their assignment more realistic and believable.

"Sounds fair enough to me." Eve rose from her seat and walked off with him to the row in the library dedicated to Astronomy books.

After unfolding her black glasses and setting them on the bridge of her nose, she furrowed her eyebrows in concentration as she scanned the spines of the books on the shelves. Finally coming across one entitled: _Names, Meanings, and Origins of the Planets_, she pulled it from the shelf and opened it, skimming the table of contents first. Finding what she was searching for, she flipped to a page with the words "Origins of the Planets' Names", which read:

"_The planets in our solar system were named according to a mythological god or goddess that was thought to correspond with the planet because of its distinguishing features. For instance, the planet Mars was named after the Roman god of war because of its scarlet coloration. The planet Venus was named after the Roman goddess of beauty because it shines brightly in the sky. And the planet Pluto was named after the Roman god of the underworld because it is the furthest planet from the sun._

_Below is a list of brief information on the planets in their order from the sun. Please refer to the following chapter for more detailed data._

_The planet Mercury is named after the Roman god of travel because it moves quickly across the sky._

_The planet Venus is named after the Roman goddess of beauty because it shines brilliantly._

_The planet Earth is not named after any god or goddess, but its name comes from Old English and Germanic._

_The planet Mars is named after the Roman god of war because it is red in colour._

_The planet Jupiter is named after the Roman king of the gods because it is the largest planet in the solar system._

_The planet Saturn is named after the Roman god of agriculture and is known for its rings._

_The planet Uranus is named after the Greek god of the sky and is known for being gaseous._

_The planet Neptune is named after the Roman god of the sea because it is blue in color._

_The planet Pluto is named after the Roman god of the underworld because it is the furthest from the sun, and therefore the darkest."_

Catching sight of the page his partner was on, Remus approached her and inquired, "Did you find something?" Looking down at her, he realized for the first time how small she was. He stood at a still-slightly-lanky six foot four, while she looked to be at least a good foot shorter than him.

Lifting her head up, Eve replied, "Yes, actually I did. It gives a brief list of the planets, who they're named after, and why they were named after their assigned god or goddess. Curious…"

"What is?"

"Six out of the eight planets named after mythological figures are given masculine names." Eve shut the book and decided firmly with a smart nod, "We'll give our planet a feminine name."

"What? Why?"

"Because we need to balance out the genders." With a mischievous grin, she joked, "Think about it- if there aren't enough female planets out there, then the male planets won't be able to make new planets."

Remus set his book down on the counter that jutted from the bookshelf and shook his head, chuckling under his breath. "Merlin forbid the lack of 'female' planets in the universe. Fine, fine, go pick out a feminine name for our planet. But, Eve, can we at least not color the planet pink?" He shuddered at the thought. "I don't want it to turn into a big ball of pink fluff and sparkles and… Blech!"

Eve blinked once and then gave an unladylike snort that caused Remus to arch his eyebrows. Her amusement grew as she covered her mouth to muffle a mad rush of giggles that bubbled its way to the surface. A half minute later, 

when her laughter finally subsided into chuckles, she grinned up at the perplexed Remus and explained, "Oi! We sound like a married couple arguing over our unborn child. 'I want it to be a girl,' 'I want to name her this,' 'I don't want her to wear this color.'" She made different voices as she mimicked the two of them.

Chuckling, Remus bowed and shook his head at her jest. If one really thought about it, it almost _was_ like they were preparing for the birth of a child. The previous Astronomy class had been the date of conception since that was when the assignment was given, the following month would be the gestation period as they composed the project, and the due date when they'd present the project would be the birthday of the 'baby'.

"You're funny. This project will be a breeze for us, I can already tell." Remus said with a nod of his head. He slid the sleeve up one of his arms and checked his watch. "Ooh, I have to go. How about we meet up again within the next couple of days?"

Eve nodded and, sliding off her glasses, walked with him back to their table so he could collect his books and backpack. "Sounds good to me. Remember, for next time, we should bring our books and make sure we bookmark the places that have the most useful information."

"Will do. See you next time." After rolling down his sleeve, he waved once and walked to the front desk to have his books checked out.

.x:X:x.

Later that day, after the sun had slipped below the horizon and left the moon in its wake, Remus climbed the stairs to the boys' dormitory and shut the door behind him. Walking over to his bed, he plopped down and emptied his bag of library books before taking out a scrap of parchment and using bits of it to mark the most helpful pages.

About twenty minutes after Remus had arrived, the door opened again to reveal a very scarlet and distracted Peter.

"'Lo, Wormtail. How was your first day working with… well, you know…" Remus trailed off, widening his eyes to show his distaste for Peter's partner.

Batting his eyes as though he were just coming out of a trance, the chubbiest of the Marauders made to loosen his already undone tie, seemed to realize it couldn't become any more slack than it already was, and then quickly took an awkward seat on his own bed.

"Oh, uh," he swallowed, not turning his head to look at his friend, but only moving his eyes to make visual contact. "Horrible. Merlin, I-I-I hate the bloody bint."

Remus tilted his head to one side and squinted his eyes at Peter. He was acting quite strangely. First he walks into the room all red in the face, and then he sits down on his bed all funny. Usually when Peter returned to the dormitories, he'd flop down onto his mattress and bury his head into his pillow, ready to get a good night's rest. This time, he sat stiffly at the foot of his bed with his back against one of the sturdy wooden posts there, and looked rather keen on not turning toward Remus.

Before the werewolf could say anything more, the last two Marauders emerged into the room, throwing the door open so forcefully that a loud noise echoed throughout the room. James had an unabashed grin on his lips that made him look dreadfully amused. Sirius's face was dusted over in more crimson than Peter's cheeks were at the moment, and that was saying a lot considering the dark-haired Marauder didn't blush often.

"I'm telling you, Pads, I heard it for myself when she was standing in the corridor laughing with her friends about it," James said to the obviously furious Marauder.

"Wormtail, _please_ tell me what Prongs is saying isn't… true…" Sirius trailed off as he watched the addressed friend fumble with his collar to tug it further up his neck.

"What the _bloody hell_ are you hiding there?" Sirius growled as he slapped Peter's hand away from his neck and yanked down his collar. "Oh… dear… Merlin…" He murmured low in his throat.

"Ugh… that's really gross, mate… But, because of Padfoot's disgust, it's bloody hilarious!" James pointed at Sirius and doubled over in laughter.

Sirius grabbed James harshly by his shirt and hissed, "This isn't funny! You know how much I hate her! Merlin, Pete, why couldn't you at least have done that with Andromeda? At least she's nice! At least _then_ I could've understood!"

Remus, now thoroughly curious to know what was going on, laid his book upside-down to mark the page he left off on and walked around to Peter's other side to see what all the hullabaloo was about. When he got close enough to the mortified Peter to see, he spotted a chain of lip-shaped smudges tinted the color of blood trailing down his neck, ending with a dark, slowly fading hickey at the union between his shoulder and neck.

Remus was shocked into silence for a minute before he backed away a couple of paces and whispered incredulously, "You… You _let_ Narcissa do that to you?"

Peter squeezed his lips together for a moment, as if he were trying to restrain the words that wanted to explode past his lips, but soon his vocal cords won the fight and he blurted out, "But, guys, she's _really_ pretty!"

James, his collar still in Sirius's fist, burst out in another round of laughter at the look on his best mate's face. Certainly, he hated Narcissa Black just as much as her Gryffindor cousin did, but Sirius's anger coupled with the fact that Peter seemed to fancy the Slytherin tickled him pink and caused him to be far more amused than disgusted.

"But… But why did you… how did this…?" Remus stuttered, trying to find a way to learn more about what happened without seeming nosey or perverted.

"_Well_," Peter began, fumbling with the flap of his book bag as a distraction from all his friends' eyes glaring down at him. "See, what happened was… Narcissa was trying to talk me into doing the entire project for her, and, of course I told her to shove off because I'm not stupid enough to just do someone else's work for them and let them have all the credit-"

Remus cleared his throat and glared at Peter in a silent gesture that told him to get past this point in his explanation.

"Uh, anyway, so I told her off and then she just sort of… well, she… she leaned in and-"

"Please, spare us the details, I beg of you." Sirius pressed his palms over his ears. "I don't want to hear how you shook things up with… with… _Narcissa_." Burying his head into his hands, he fell silent for a little before saying, "So, she _romanced_ you into doing the entire project for her, huh?" He scoffed and continued, "Sounds like that slimy bat is up to her old tricks, then."

"Hey, just think about it, Padfoot," James piped up, bringing his hands up to unclench Sirius's fingers from his collar. "If he and your cousin ever get married, you and him will be officially related!"

Feeling his blood come to a boil within his veins, Sirius growled low in his throat and, without warning, tackled James to the ground and began wrestling with him. Remus and Peter watched with mild interest as the two grunting boys tried to roll their opponent over and pin him to the ground to claim victory. Within minutes, the brawl was over, and a panting James shoved his best friend into the ground.

"Ha!" James breathed, trying to draw much-needed oxygen into his lungs. "That's what you get for picking a fight with someone whose muscles have been hardened by years of training as a Chaser." He smirked and chuckled cockily to himself as he rolled up one of his sleeves all the way to the shoulder and flexed his bicep.

Sirius muttered an insult into the hardwood floor before heaving himself up to a standing position. He staggered a little before finding his footing, and took to straightening out his clothes. "You're lucky I _let_ you win, Prongs," he muttered for himself.

Smirking, James looked between Sirius and Remus and inquired, "Anyone else have a snog-and-tell story they'd like to share?"

"Unfortunately, no," Sirius said while trying to tame his hair. "Although that Anna bird is fairly easy on the eyes, so I wouldn't mind changing that sometime soon. How 'bout you, James? Do I need to check under _your_ collar for a little love bite from Snivellus- OI! GET OFF ME!"

This time, it was James who'd started the brawl, but before the two could really go at it, Sirius, from his position beneath his friend, brought up a knee forcefully so it landed squarely between James's legs. The injured boy howled in pain and Sirius shoved him off so he could stand up.

"That's what you get for pushing a bloke onto his back when he's used to being on top, if you catch my drift." Sirius smirked as his proud gaze fell to his belt.

"Blo… Blo… Bloody hell!" James rasped, his hands protecting his crotch from the possibility of another kick. Gasping for air like a merperson out of water, the Chaser attempted to sit upright, but his eyes rolled up in his pale head and he fell back down again, writhing and trying to get his mind off the agonizing bolts shooting through his body.

Remus and Peter shared a wince at James's facial expressions before the former drew his wand and kneeled beside his friend. After muttering a spell, James felt at ease. He visibly relaxed and his body splayed limply against the floor as he tried to draw in healing breaths after his torturous experience.

Remus stood up and made sure to put himself in between the two rivaling friends in case they started another fight, but James seemed to be content with lying on the ground and enjoying the anguish-less feeling.

"So, Moony," Sirius elbowed Remus and wriggled his eyebrows, "do _you_ have any stories you'd like to tell us? Did you get a little lovin' in the library? A rendezvous between the rows of books? A nice frolic in the vacant back corner of-"

"Sirius, honestly," Remus lightly scolded, using his friend's real name to show how firm he was being with him. He knew that the cocky wizard liked to tease him in regards to his love life because of his current lack of it, but he also knew that it quickly got annoying if he didn't cut him off soon enough.

"I just met Eve. She seems nice, but we're just on our way to becoming friends. Why would I think of those things when we scarcely know each other?"

.x:X:x.

Eve sighed and turned her head to look down at the tarot cards scattered across her bed like rose petals. She had tried many times to draw another card while asking what would be brought to her life from the project, and the same card always found its way into her hand: The Lovers.

Throwing her curly head back, the frustrated witch leaned her head on the headboard. This was becoming less amusing by the minute. She was beginning to wish she'd never done that tarot spread in the library. Damn her 

arriving at the library too early. Damn Remus for not coming early enough to save her from the boredom the tarot cards alleviated. Damn, damn, damn…

Gathering up her tarot cards, making sure her memory lost the place of that dreadful card in the deck, Eve shuffled them up until her hands grew tired, as if from writer's cramp. With a breath in, she shut her eyes and concentrated on the question she'd been focusing on all day, and then drew a card among the bottom quarter of the deck. Opening her eyes slowly, she groaned in frustration as the all-too familiar faces of the blissful lovers embracing one another grinned happily out at her.

Lily, who was walking out of the bathroom after changing into her nightgown, brushed her long, vivacious ginger hair as she took a seat on the edge of her bed, which was right next to Eve's. Her jade eyes sleepily swept the room and happened to catch sight of the card in her fellow Gryffindor's hand.

"I take it there's love in the cards for you?" She playfully teased around a yawn as she set her hairbrush down.

Eve politely smiled and shrugged, replying, "I suppose so," as Lily slipped beneath the covers and shut her eyes.

The brunette stayed awake for the next ten minutes, searching through her cards as if to make sure that they weren't all marked as The Lovers. She sighed when she found that they weren't, as she was hoping there was an explanation other than destiny that moved her hand to that particular card every single time.

Deciding that she wanted to throw a curveball at destiny, she inquired internally, _How am I best described?_ She mixed up her cards some more and drew one. "Of course," she muttered sarcastically to herself, "_now_ I draw another card." The Queen of Chalices was in her hand. _Intuitive, mature, sensitive, a touch unstable at times… well, I can be a bit loopy… Yup, I'd say this sounds just about right._

She sniffed the air once before deciding in a mutter, "It's just a fluke." She wrapped her tarot cards in a silky, raspberry red scarf and placed it neatly into the deep-stained wooden box that housed her precious cards. Placing it gently on her nightstand, she grabbed her nightgown and headed off to the bathroom, contenting herself with wiping her memory clean of that day's readings and not giving it another thought.

Unbeknownst to Eve, a card sat on her bed, beaming up at the ceiling and forgotten by its owner. It had accidentally and unnoticeably slipped out of the blossoming psychic's hands while she was shuffling, though the couple on the card didn't seem to mind. They merely continued embracing each other like the lovers they were and looked forward to a new day together.

**Author's Note: **I know that Narcissa Black was approximately four years older than the Marauders and, therefore, graduated from Hogwarts before them, but for the purposes of humor and amusement, she's in the same year as them in this fanfiction. As I stated in my author's note in the first chapter, this fanfiction is AU. Also, I'd like to apologize if any information regarding the tarot or the planets is incorrect, although I did research on the subjects so that I'd be as accurate as possible while writing up this chapter.


	3. The Plan

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Again, I'd like to thank those who have reviewed my fanfiction; you don't know how much it means to me. It honestly helps me persist with writing each chapter! **Please continue to review this fanfiction!** Also, if there is something you think might make this fanfiction better, or you have an idea that you'd like to offer as something for me to add into my fanfiction in the future (rated T or less, please, no exceptions), please say so in your review. This is no guarantee that it will be put into the fanfiction, as I already have an outline that I'm following, but if I feel that it fits in, I'll use it either in this fanfiction or as a companion fanfiction to _Written in the Stars_. As always, please continue to check back each Sunday for a new chapter (the next chapter will be up Sunday, January 13, 2008).

**Readers beware of spoilers from any of the **_**Harry Potter**_** books in this fanfiction.**

**Publish Date:** Sunday, January 6, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Three: The Plan

"And, _oh_, is he handsome! I swear, Eve, one more minute in his presence, and I would've been a puddle!"

Eve smiled at her infatuated friend in an attempt to offer support, but, on the inside, she was rolling her eyes. Anna was a very nice person, but she was just a bit… enthusiastic when it came to the male specie. Sure, it was a tad annoying at times, but she was her best friend, so she overlooked this little flaw of hers.

"Really?" Eve inquired. Letting that settle after Anna nodded her head, the brunette tugged idly at a curl by her ear and quipped, "And what about Derek?"

Anna paused for a moment in her walking before nearly tripping to keep up with Eve. "Oh, Eve, I don't know what to do! They're both so cute, I… I don't know which one to choose!"

With a tiny smirk, Eve stopped before the entrance of the library and turned to face the blonde. Leaning back against a wall, she said, "Sounds like you're in quite the predicament, then." After looking down for a moment, she added, "Choose either way you'd like, but just be careful. I trust you know about both of their reputations by now." Glancing at her watch, she declared, "I have to go. I promised Remus I'd meet him in there… but it's such a lovely day, I wish I'd declined and just spent the day outside."

"Well," Anna grinned and dropped her voice until it reached an amused, mock conspiratorial tone, "why don't you offer to work on your project _outside_ with him?"

Eve thought about it for a moment and smiled. "Sounds like a great idea, Anna. Thanks!"

The blonde witch nodded as if to say, 'Don't mention it,' and turned to walk away, but her friend stopped her. "Wait… Later on, would you mind if we meet up again?" Recalling her last tarot reading where The Lovers card 

continued to be pulled, she explained further, "There's something I'd like to discuss with you in private, something I want your opinion on."

Anna bobbed her head and said, "Of course. We can talk after dinner, alright?" When Eve nodded in reply, Anna turned and walked down the corridor.

Waving after her retreating friend, the brunette walked into the library to find Remus sitting at the same table they occupied the last time they met.

"Hello, Remus," Eve greeted her fellow Gryffindor. The addressed boy looked up from the particularly hefty tome he was reading to smile at her and return the salutation.

"Listen, Remus… I was wondering if we could bring our books outside and work on our project out there? It's such a lovely day out, and some fresh air and sunshine sounds awfully tempting to me. What do you say?"

Remus shut his book and slung his book bag over his shoulder before replying, "That sounds like a fine idea to me."

Eve smiled in return and thanked him as they strolled out of the library, down a few corridors, and out into the crisp autumn air. The witch extended her arms out and up as if she were planning on embracing the sun, but she merely drew a long, deep breath in, enjoying the scents of the season.

"Ah! Don't you just love the smell of the leaves as they're changing color and falling?" She inquired enthusiastically.

Remus chuckled at her eagerness to be outside and, finding a nice place to sit under a large, curved tree by the lake, set his book bag down beneath it. Taking a seat beside his bag, he patted a place on the grass next to him in a silent gesture for her to join him. "Yes, it always smells lovely outside when autumn rolls around."

Plopping down next to her project partner, Eve fiddled with the clasp and string that tied her robes around her and allowed it to pool around her body on the ground before she unknotted her tie "Ah, that's much better," she said once she was finally free of the thick clothing that smothered her skin in the mild air. Now, with her lighter and thinner shirt and skirt on, she felt far more comfortable outside.

"By the way, I've found the perfect name for our planet," Eve announced with a smile on her face.

"Splendid! What name did you choose?"

"Circe," Eve began as Remus nodded his head in understanding. "She was a-"

"A witch who had killed her husband, kept another man as her lover, and then helped him navigate through Sirens, a monster, and a whirlpool." When he received an impressed look from the girl, he grinned sheepishly and said, "I've been versed in some of the more prominent and well-known figures of Greek and Roman mythology. You know, because of my parents' obvious interest in the subject considering what they named me."

Eve nodded and smiled. It made sense for him to learn from his parents something they were passionate about. After batting her eyelashes innocently at him for a moment, she took a library book out from her bag and gave him a light whack with it on the arm. "Why couldn't you have mentioned this _before_ I wasted my time looking through all those thick books, trying to find the perfect name?"

With a particularly cheeky grin, Remus replied, "Because _you_ were the one who wanted to name the planet; I couldn't very well just start spouting names out to you, it was _your_ portion of the project."

Eve rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and sulked for a minute. After a breeze blew through and made her readjust her hair to keep it tidy, she decided that she'd done enough silent whining and said, "Alright, then, now onto the color. I was thinking that we should make it purple since we don't have any planets that color."

Chuckling under his breath at how quickly she recovered, Remus agreed, "That sounds good; now our planet will stand out from other discovered planets."

"Exactly." Eve said as she burrowed a hand into her book bag. After a minute, she produced a length of parchment, a quill, and some ink. "Right, now we should probably start sketching out what we want our model of the universe Circe is in to look like. Then we can begin thinking up a history next time we meet. The drawing might give us a direction for us to go in when writing the history down since we'll know how big the planets are, how many planets it created, and things of that nature."

Bobbing his head, Remus said, "It sounds like you've thought this through. Brilliant!"

He watched as Eve dipped her quill into the ink and began scribbling down a couple of lopsided circles, scratching out each one as it wasn't to her liking as a representation of their planet. His chortling drew her attention away from the drawing and she asked, "What's so funny?"

"You are; trying and failing to draw the most simplest of objects." Remus grinned in jest.

"Are you saying that I can't draw?"

"No, I'm merely saying that you can't draw _very well_," he lightly teased.

Sticking her tongue firmly into her cheek to show her distaste for his criticism of her drawing skills- and, yes, she knew she couldn't draw to save her bloody soul- she decided to put him under some pressure. Dropping her parchment and quill into his lap, she said, "Fine, then why don't you show me how it's _really_ done, if you're such a grand artist? Come on, then." She slid her reading glasses up her nose and waited for him to begin.

Remus grinned secretly to himself for a moment before taking up the quill in his hand and beginning to sketch out the dimensions of their planet with practiced ease. Of course, his drawing skills had been honed when he had to help draw out the Marauders' Map, since the damned thing took forever to finish, and he'd discovered a new hobby in the process. He became good at drawing; he wasn't the best, but he certainly wasn't bad at it, either, and found that he quite enjoyed spending some free time drawing random images, people, or things that were either before him or in his mind.

The concentrating wizard felt his partner leaning ever closer to him as she tried to sneak a peek around his shoulder, and he smirked.

"Wow," Eve breathed. "It looks… _real_. I mean, it looks as if it'll start rotating right on the parchment at any minute." She watched as he added the finishing touches of detail to their planet; landmasses and swirly atmosphere were the perfect embellishments of their planet-in-progress. "Of course, I wasn't wearing my glasses when I tried to draw, so I could've done better if I was given the chance." Really, she couldn't have drawn any better if she tried; it just wasn't something she was good at.

Looking over his shoulder at her, Remus chuckled and said, "Oh, I'm sure. Thanks, by the way. I like to draw when I have the time. It's, ah… It's something I've sort of picked up over the years, you know?"

"Yeah," Eve breathed, and held eye contact for a staggeringly lengthy moment before he broke it to look down at what he'd drawn.

"So, this is to your liking, then? The dimensions are all good?"

"Yes, it's wonderful. That looks like an average-sized planet to me, in terms of how large the planets in our solar system are. Would you mind labeling that as fifty-thousand kilometers?"

Remus recorded that note next to the planet before writing within its sphere the words 'Circe' and 'purple'. "Alright, now how many planets do we want circling their sun?"

After a moment of thought, Eve decided, "For symbolic purposes, perhaps we should only have one other planet. We could name it Odysseus."

Remus grinned at that. Odysseus was the lover that Circe took after murdering her husband. "Clever!" He said as he drew another detailed planet and labeled it before assigning it a color and a size.

"And now for the sun." Eve said, skipping over the possibility of the planets having moons since they'd discussed that the last time they met. "Let's make the sun small, sort of like the universe is just starting out. You know, a baby sun."

Remus smirked and sketched out a sun with curly wisps of fire lapping out from it. Eve tilted her head to one side and watched with interest as his features shifted while he concentrated. His eyes seemed to see things that she could not, as if he saw the shapes on the parchment and were just tracing them over instead of drawing them free-hand. His eyebrows drooped into a frown, which caused a wrinkle there, and his lips… his lips looked so soft when they were parted like that, it almost made her want to lean in and-

"How does that look?"

Eve was ripped back from her daydream as quickly as she was brought into it and she shook her head to clear it of its thoughts. _Where did all that come from?_ She asked herself before replying to Remus, "It looks great. Just… throw a few stars in, too."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Remus gazed at her and asked before drawing in extra celestial bodies, "Are you alright? You look as if you're confused or dazed… or something."

"What? Ah, no. No, I just lost my train of thought was all. It's amazing where it'll wander off to if I'm not standing right in it with on hand on the brakes." She attempted to jest with a small grin. "Your drawings are really beautiful, Remus. I wouldn't mind seeing what else you've drawn sometime."

A shy smile adorned Remus's lips as he replied, "Alright. Someday I might just show you."

"I'd like that," came her quiet reply.

The two sat in pregnant silence for a minute before Eve lightly pulled the parchment from Remus's hands. "Here, I have a vacant folder we can use to put our project supplies in." She doubled it up and stored it in the folder before wrapping her crimson-and-gold striped tie around her neck and clasping her robes about her once more.

Standing up, she nodded toward the school as she held out a hand to help him up. "We should get going, dinner will be soon."

.x:X:x.

As soon as dinner was finished, Eve raced over to the Ravenclaw table and dragged Anna off to a deserted corridor. "Anna, I wanted to talk to you about-"

"Oh, that thing you wanted to talk about before. Well, I'm all ears. Just hurry up, alright? I have to meet with Sirius in a little to, ah, work on our project." Anna grinned clandestinely to herself as she smoothed her skirt over her legs.

Turning her back to her friend to look out the window and into the starry sky, Eve sighed, crossed her arms, and said, "I did a tarot reading the other day."

Anna didn't look up at this; she was too preoccupied with picking lint off her clothing to make herself more presentable for her project partner. "Really? What was it about?"

Exhaling, Eve turned back around and dropped her arms at her sides to gesture mildly, "I was just doing one to see what would result from the project Remus and I are working on."

"And?"

"_And_, I read that we were going to become… a couple… because of this project."

Anna blinked her large azure eyes at Eve and waited for her to say more. When she didn't, she inquired, "And what's so wrong with that?"

"'What's so wrong'? 'What's so-' Anna, I've just met the boy, and now I'm expected to begin courting him by the conclusion of this project? I mean, he's certainly nice enough, but-"

"Do you fancy him?"

Eve stopped and shook her head without even pausing to think about it. "No. I just met him, there's no way I could fancy someone that quickly-" She stopped when her best friend arched an eyebrow as if to say, 'And what do you think I'm doing?' Sighing, she shook her head and said, "No, I don't fancy him. I think he's a handsome fellow, but I don't fancy him yet… if I'm really supposed to, that is."

Anna took to pacing in a crooked line, pondering the options. Either her friend could neglect to fancy Remus and, therefore, invalidate her tarot reading, _or_ she could…

"Go after him." Anna decided.

"_What_?" Eve squeaked, narrowing her eyes.

"You heard me, go after him. Honestly, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Lots! If he doesn't want to give it a try, we're going to feel unbearably awkward around each other every time we have to meet up to work on this project, or, at least, I know I will."

"_Or_ your reading will come true and you'll be a couple _while_ working on your project, which means you get to spend lots of time together, and some of that time you'll be able to spend snogging with him! You need someone in your life, Eve!" Anna checked her watch and gasped before taking off down the corridor. "Just go for him!" She rounded a corner to take a shortcut to the library where she was going to meet with Sirius and disappeared.

Eve sighed and stood for a moment in silence before deciding to do one more reading. Pulling her tarot cards from her backpack, she shuffled them and asked silently, _What do I do?_ Drawing a card, she took one look at the smiling couple she'd quickly tired of, and screeched, "_Bugger!_"

.x:X:x.

Remus was reclining on his bed, doing his homework by the time Sirius made it back from working with Anna. He looked particularly smug with himself, if not a bit odd with the smudge of lipstick coating his mouth.

"Prongs, come along. I've a bit of news for dear ol' Moony." Sirius said as he passed his best mate, strolled over to Remus's four-poster, and sat on the edge of it.

"So, Moony," Sirius said after James had taken a stand at the werewolf's side. "I heard through the grapevine that someone has their eye on you."

James smirked at this. It was always fun to tease the most reserved Marauder about girls.

"Oh, really?" Remus asked with mild interest, as he'd been through this with his friends so many times before that he knew where this was going. "And who, may I ask, gave up this tasty tidbit to you?" He book-marked the page of his textbook and placed it on his side table to give Sirius his full and undivided attention.

"Anna," Sirius said with a smirk, wiping the smeared lipstick off his lips with the back of his hand. "Yeah, I snogged it out of her. You should've seen her, mate, she ran right into the library, all flustered and giddy and whatnot, and she kept grinning at absolutely nothing. So, finally I asked her what was up, and at first she just shook her head and said it was nothing, and then I brought her into the back of the library and-"

"Please, Padfoot, spare us dirty details." Remus pleaded, rubbing his temples with the pads of his fingers.

"-and snogged it right out of her." Sirius finished with a triumphant grin.

Remus watched as his two friends high-fived each other before shaking his head and inquiring, "So, you're telling me that Anna, a girl _you_ snogged, said that she fancies me? Yeah, it _really_ sounds like she's going for me, mate." He rolled his eyes to emphasize his sarcasm.

"No, no, no, Moony, you've got it all wrong. Anna was the one who told me the news, but it isn't Anna who's after you, it's one of her friends." Sirius smirked and fell quiet to build the drama, not to mention that it was a good way to get the werewolf to cave and ask for more information.

Finally, after a long minute of silence, Remus sighed and, running his hands down his face, asked the question Sirius had been anxiously waiting to hear. "Alright, Pads. Who is it that fancies me?"

"Eve Pankhart."

James gave a short laugh before elbowing Remus and sing-songing, "Ooh!"

"Bugger off!" Remus exclaimed, slapping his friend's elbow away from him. "You heard wrong, Sirius, you must've."

Shaking his head, Sirius said, "Nope," popping the 'P' at the end of the word. "Anna and Eve are like this," he held up his hand with his first and middle fingers crossed, "they're best friends. There's no way she has the wrong information. She told me that Eve thinks you're a 'handsome fellow'! To which I, of course, replied that you learned to look as good as you do from me." He smirked and ran a hand through his shiny ebony hair.

"I say go for her, Moons," James encouraged.

"Yeah, go after her! With a snog or two from that one, I'd say you'd loosen up quite a bit, instead of being so bloody uptight all the time." He and James snickered before Remus chucked a pillow at them.

"I won't 'go after her', and I won't snog her! In case you haven't noticed, I don't fancy her back, and I don't plan on starting!" Remus's entire face was scarlet, and it made Sirius and James back away from him slightly.

"Dear Merlin, when's the next full moon?" Sirius asked Remus.

Slumping in defeat, Remus muttered pathetically, "Tomorrow night." Panting slightly from the exertion he used when yelling at his friends, the werewolf continued exhaustedly, "Look… I won't court her."

"What? Why? At least give things a try. That's what you always tell us: You never know until you try," James said while placing his hand on his tired friend's shoulder.

"I know. I know I always say that to you. However, I feel that the circumstances are quite different for me than they are for you." Remus stated quietly and calmly.

"But, Moony, with a girlfriend, you could have companionship. Think about it, maybe you wouldn't be so sick as long after the full moon with her right there to nurse you back to health, not to mention make you feel better with hugs and kisses and-"

Sirius was cut off when Remus asserted, "No! There is no way I'm taking advantage of the fact that she wants to be a Healer-"

"That's perfect! She can take care of you!" Sirius offered in support.

"No!" The werewolf barked again. "No, I'm not exploiting her talents and making her become my personal nurse as well as my girlfriend. I could never force that sort of responsibility on someone."

Rising from his seat, Sirius lightly touched Remus's arm and gently implored, "Just, think about it, mate? For us?"

Raising his gaze to fix on Sirius's eyes, Remus replied without missing a beat, "I already have."

Oh, the trials tomorrow would bring.


	4. The Plan Backfires

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Once again, I'd like to take the time to thank those who have written a reply. You have no idea how much this helps me continue writing! **Please continue to leave reviews!** I adore them, and they let me know what I'm doing right so that I may continue writing accordingly.

_Please note:_ I may or may not be able to post another chapter on Sunday, January 20. This week will be unusually busy for me, and I'm not sure I'll have the time to write up a decent chapter. If this is the case, my next update will be on Sunday, January 27. Check back, though, since I'll try my absolute best to find the time to update this fanfiction. I'm sorry for any inconvenience, and I thank you for bearing with me.

**Publish Date:** Sunday, January 13, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Four: The Plan Backfires

"Oh, don't worry, you look fine!" Anna assured her fretting friend as she led her down the corridor. Currently, the blonde was fluffing up Eve's loose, thick curls (she'd only just convinced her to take them out of the barrette for that evening), and preening her. The Ravenclaw was going to keep her fingers crossed in hopes that her best friend would soon have a nice new beau.

"Ooh, I don't know about this," Eve worried as she abruptly halted in the middle of the corridor to dig through her book bag.

"You look sensational, dear, I promise!" Anna placed a hand over her heart at the vow before taking notice of the chipped cherry-tinted nail polish on one of her fingers and, taking the time to start picking at it, she absentmindedly revealed, "When I told Sirius about your infatuation with Remus, he seemed very enthused by the idea, and encouraged me to support your going after him."

Eve's hand stopped poking through her bag long enough for her jaw to drop as Anna continued inspecting her nails. Finally realizing what she'd confessed to, Anna clapped her hands over her mouth as her eyes widened in guilt. Bugger, she wasn't supposed to actually _say_ that!

"Eve, look, I can explain-"

"'Explain?' '_Explain?_' You blurted out that I fancy Remus when I don't, Anna! All I said yesterday was that I think he's handsome!"

"What's the difference?" Anna asked in genuine curiosity, tilting her head to one side.

Disregarding her ignorant, not to mention ridiculous, inquiry, she fretted, "What if he told Remus? Oh, dear Merlin, what _if_ he told Remus?" Eve clapped her hands over her quickly reddening face in horror. "Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no! This is going to make things _so_ awkward!"

Grasping at her friend's wrists, Anna tried to cheer up her friend and offered, "Well, it would probably be a good thing if he was told; when I told Sirius, he looked so giddy about the news, I concluded he must know that Remus fancies you back, and then he-"

Glaring long and hard at the girl from between her parted fingers, Eve mumbled into the palms of her hands, "That has got to be the most ridiculous thing you've ever said to me, Anna. Sirius could be giddy because he wants to play a prank on Remus and me for all we know, using the, what he thinks is, knowledge of my feelings for him as a basis for it."

With that, she looked away from her friend and back down at her book bag as she tried once more to find her compact mirror.

"If you're getting so worked up about all of this, why even bother with it in the first place? I mean, after all, you, yourself, just said that you don't fancy him. Why did you decide to go forward with this little plan of yours?" Anna inquired as a chip of nail polish fell to the floor.

"Because… Because the tarot is made up of two distinct groups: the major arcana and the minor arcana. The minor arcana is composed of the suits and looks most like a muggle set of playing cards with a few alterations. Its purpose is to pick up on the fine details of life, the ones that don't really make much of a difference in the long run, but effect a short period of time. The major arcana, on the other hand, is composed of the archetypes that are believed to rule over life, and they represent a huge portion of it."

"Eve, where are you going with this? You're starting to sound like the Divinations professor, and it's a bit beyond weird."

"_Where I'm going with this_ is to point out that I continually drew an major arcana card, The Lovers, when I asked about Remus and me. Considering that everything I've said is true as far as tarot practice goes, then, if that pulled card is correct for my questions, something huge and life-changing will be coming from this project."

With a small grin, Anna offered in jest, "Ooh, maybe you'll marry him."

"Shut up, that's not the point! I'm just… _curious_ to see what that life-changing thing will be, and I'd like to find out as soon as possible from my own doing instead of letting it just creep up on me unawares whenever it bloody well gets around to feeling like it."

"What are you going to do?" Anna inquired after a pause, winding a strand of straight golden hair through her fingers.

"I'm going to meet with Remus and put the plan into effect." When the girl opposite her seemed to brighten at this, she waggled a finger at her. "Oh, no, missy, you aren't off the hook; far from it. I don't need my tarot cards to know that I'll be fuming at you for a _least_ the rest of the day, maybe longer. Who knows?"

Opening up the mirror, she gazed at her reflection. Earlier on, Anna had convinced her to don more make-up than she usually did. Her normal war paint (as Eve called it only to ruffle Anna's feathers) routine consisted of foundation, eyeliner, mascara, and lip-gloss. However, that morning, Anna had brought down some of her own make-up and set it up in a girls' lavatory, where she tricked her friend into entering, before holding her hostage there. After a long string of curses and pleadings to be set free, Eve was finally finished. To add onto what Eve had already done, Anna added dainty pink powder to her cheeks (though Eve scarcely felt she needed it, seeing as she was always a touch flushed and quick to blush when embarrassed, nervous, or upset), a dash of light azure eye shadow, and a smear of eye-catching crimson lipstick.

"When applying make-up, you want to emphasize either your lips or your eyes," Anna had told her, as if she hadn't already known, "but never both. Since your eyes are gray and, therefore, no offense, on the bland side, you may as 

well highlight your mouth. It's actually a good way to go considering your lips are plump, and guys really seem to go for that."

Eve had been looking into the mirror above one of the sinks while Anna explained all this to her, and she tilted her head this way and that. She actually did look quite nice, not that she usually looked like a troll who just rolled out of bed each morning, but she didn't stand out from the crowd much without the splash of color Anna gave to her. Simply put, the beauty-obsessed witch had allowed the Gryffindor's features to shine, which was quite a refreshing breath of air.

"Ah, one more thing," Anna said, diving into her friend's hair through her protests. "This barrette is coming with me for the day!"

"Oh, Anna, please don't! You know how unruly my hair gets when it's not practically held captive!" Eve pleaded, trying to tackle her friend for the hair clip that, through its overuse, had long since lost its youthful luster.

As soon as she'd said this, Anna whipped out her wand and slowly waved it down over the girl's tangled bushy curls, which seemed to tame at this.

Eve swiveled around to look into the mirror and ran her fingers through her hair in awe. It actually looked nice without needing anything to sweep it back with for once. Her curls trickled down her back just past her shoulder blades, and a few lone tendrils curled down the front of her neck. It even looked better in this fashion than it did while it was in the barrette, so much so that Eve was considering wearing it like this more often.

"How did you learn to do this?" She inquired, combing her fingers through her hair. "This is incredible!"

"_Well_," Anna began proudly, twirling her wand through her fingers like a cheerleader would a baton, "when you're as peculiar about your looks as I am, you learn how to do a thing or two about them magically."

Twirling back toward Anna, Eve beamed and demanded, "Show me."

Anna then took to explaining that, in order for her to perform this magic on her own, Eve had to think about the hairstyle she wanted while waving the wand slowly down her hair.

"Sounds easy enough," Eve said as she tilted once again toward the mirror, rather confident with herself.

That confidence was short-lived, however, as she took to worrying what might happen if she messed things up irreparably between Remus and her. Why did she care so much? _Well,_ she reasoned, _Remus seems like an awfully nice boy. I wouldn't mind continuing our friendship in the least._

Folding her mirror shut with a snap that echoed throughout the partially vacant corridor, Eve slipped it back into her bag and, with her head held high, began strutting off toward the library. Anna hustled to keep up with her, and right when she opened her mouth to speak, Eve cut her off by informing her, "I shan't be speaking with you for a while, Anna. I cannot believe you! After all the years we've known each other, you've never spilled a secret of mine, and now… now, you-"

"But, Eve, I couldn't help it! Sirius was there, and we started snogging, and-"

"Enough. I'm meeting with Remus."

.x:X:x.

Remus winced as a sharp pain plunged into his chest, and he coughed into a fist. A rattling sigh escaped his pale lips, and dark circles drooped beneath his watery brown eyes. His chocolate-hued hair was atypically disheveled, and he tugged his robes closer to his body as he shivered. Merlin, did he hate the day prior to the full moon… Where the bloody hell was Eve, anyway? She was a good twenty minutes late!

"'Evening, Remus," Eve chirped merrily as she sauntered into the library. As soon as she reached the table and set her books down, her cheerful smile faded right off her made-up face. "Good Merlin," she breathed. She reached out a pleasantly warm hand and, after brushing away strands of hair out of his face, checked for his temperature and inquired, "Are you quite alright? You don't look so good… And, ooh, you're burning up!"

"Good eve, Eve." Remus attempted horribly at teasing to lighten the mood. With a lopsided grin, he raised a gloved hand to hold hers to his forehead. "Your hand is warm… Mmm…" He mumbled, shutting his eyes as contentedly as a cat and sliding her hand down to his cheek. Only when she made a move to sit down did he reluctantly release her and open his eyes.

Woah… She definitely didn't look like that last time. Since her hand had moved of his face, he could see that she had undergone a complete makeover. Now, not that he was complaining, or anything, seeing as she did look quite nice with a little extra color to her face (and, really, her hair looked positively stunning when it was down and free), but he, even in the short time he knew her, never pegged her as the type of girl who would worry so much over appearance that she would be late for their meeting because of it.

"You're late," He pointed out around a cough.

The girl's gray eyes widened, completely taken aback. As arrogant as this sounded, she was actually wagering with herself that he would make _some_ mention of how she looked. Instead, he looked as if he didn't notice one iota of a difference.

"And _you_ are ill," Eve bit back in response, whipping a book she'd brought along open. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her, and she suddenly wished she hadn't used that tone. For one thing, her partner was ill, and was probably short of patience. For another, it simply wouldn't do to begin the plan she had with an argument she started.

With a sigh, she amended, "I'm sorry, Remus. It… It was my fault I was late, and… I apologize."

The boy's eyebrows shot up in surprise; he certainly wasn't prepared to hear her formally apologize to him, especially for something so trivial as a slight tardiness. He was merely pointing out the fact so that she knew that she'd been late, in case she wasn't aware of the matter.

"It's alright." Remus tried to muster up a decent smile. "It happens to the best of us." It was at that moment that he felt something shift and release from within him. It wasn't something physical (and he thanked Merlin for that, as that carried the potential of exceptional embarrassment, especially in such a quiet place like the library where it would be heard by all). In fact, he believed that it was something in the back of his mind; he supposed that it was his sense of humor slowly pulling away from him, allowing the astronomical weight of the yet-to-rise full moon to sag his shoulders.

Feeling the beginnings of a migraine beating dully against the inside of his skull, Remus squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples while inquiring, "So, do you have any information you think would be useful to the project?"

"Actually, yes. I've been taking down notes on how planets form, and that gives us a couple of choices, and- Are you listening to me?"

"Yes, of course I am," Remus mumbled impatiently while pinching the bridge of his nose. "This just helps alleviate my migraine… a little."

Eve batted her eyelashes at him twice, and, lightly touching his arm, murmured, "I'm sorry."

Remus heard his partner shuffle around in her bag for something, and just as he was about to ask her what she was searching for, he felt a small, cool square being pressed into his hand.

"I usually have some chocolate with me," she explained as Remus opened his eyes, smiled lightly, and began unwrapping the treat, "so that I can ward off the bad moods that accompany my monthlies, but you obviously need it more right now. I know it's not a potion, or anything, but you should feel a little better if you eat it." With a grin, she added teasingly, "Just remember that you owe me when I've depleted my chocolate."

"Thank you," her friend gratefully replied when he popped the chocolate into his mouth.

"Don't mention it." She took the wrapper from him and, crumpling it up, dropped it into her open book bag. "Feeling any better?"

"A tad," He admitted with a small smile before Eve turned back to her book and pulled out her folded parchment of notes from between two of its pages.

Licking her lips, she cleared her throat and, wanting to begin putting her plan into effect, scooted her chair closer to his so that the arms of their seats were touching. Remus raised an eyebrow at this, but then considered that she had to move closer to him to present her research properly. He couldn't, however, help but hear Sirius's voice echoing in his mind as he briefly recalled their conversation the night before, _"But, Moony, with a girlfriend, you could have companionship. Think about it, maybe you wouldn't be so sick as long after the full moon with her right there to nurse you back to health_ …"

As tempting as the idea sounded to the werewolf, he would never, _could_ never, allow it. Not only did it go against his morals and ethics to try to rope someone into taking care of him when he knew very well that he could and should take care of himself, but he scarcely allowed his friends to assist him when he felt ill before and after the night of the full moon, and he'd known them for years! The thought of dragging anyone, especially his new friend, into caring for something that was beyond anyone's control was slightly sickening to him, and he knew that there would be guilt felt by both parties if it ever came to fruit; he'd feel guilty for allowing Eve to waste her time aiding him, and he had the feeling that Eve would consider quitting her assistance, and then feel guilt at the notion of leaving him to heal on his own. No, his mind was set. He wouldn't let it get that far.

Something warm and soft leaning lightly against his arm caught his attention, and stirred his thoughts back to reality, where Eve, with her tiny black-framed glasses perching on her nose, was leaning over her research and babbling on and on about the ideas she'd had for the history of their planet. _When did she put her glasses on?_ He wondered with a crease forming between his eyebrows.

"… And so the star aged to about a billion years or so and exploded, obliterating the planets surrounding it. Then, once everything had calmed down, a new star began to form from the debris, which created a pull of gravity and made clumps of rock and other material meld together to form our two planets, Circe and Odysseus. So once they're created, land masses and oceans are formed on Circe, making life a possibility…"

Shaking his head, he scooted to lean a different way and cross his legs. This movement made Eve hesitate for a moment, as she wasn't sure if he was moving to get something or if he was just shifting around in his seat. When her mind was satisfied that it was the latter that he was doing, she continued on with her explanation.

After a few more minutes of talking, Eve turned to her partner and, quirking her head to one side and scrunching up her nose, inquired, "How does all that sound, Remmie? I thought that you could make up the second half the history since I did the first half."

Wait, wait, wait; had he heard her correctly? Did she really just call him… "_Remmie?_" He asked incredulously. It made him shudder a bit, as it got him thinking that it made him sound like a child compared to her.

Eve, smile unwavering, blinked once and said, "Yes. Remmie."

He released a small sigh and gently caressed his temples, feeling his migraine pounding even more heavily against them, as if they were bongo drums. "Uh, sure, that's fine. I was actually considering a myriad of life forms a while ago, ones that would inhabit Circe, and began sketching some down. Here, take a look." Feeling his control over his temper slipping a little further by the echo of the pet name in his mind, Remus ground his teeth together when he felt Eve shift closer to him so she could view his drawings better as he reached for his sketch book. This meeting of theirs, unlike others, was putting him in a worse mood than that of when he first arrived, as he thought that she was leaning toward him to be closer to him. Perhaps what Sirius said was correct; maybe Eve really did fancy him. If that was the case, she was doing something about it on the worst possible day she could.

Once he'd handed off his sketchpad to Eve, she flipped through it, grinning at the drawing on each page and turning it over to see it at different angles.

"These look marvelous, Remmie." Oh, how that dreadful nickname grated painfully against his ears! His breathing quickened and became slightly staggered as he tried to mentally soothe the migraine thrusting against his skull.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to concentrate on his breathing while Eve was distracted with his detailed drawings of creatures with seven eyes, oddly placed horns, and furry scales. Breathe in for eight seconds, breathe out for four. In for eight, out for four. In for… What was _that_ doing _there?_

Remus cracked open an eye and caught sight of his drawing book in his lap. Phew, that was a relief; it would've been awkward if it weren't the pad that was resting there.

Turning his head around so that his gaze met hers, he looked at the large gray eyes that were gazing up curiously at him as her plump scarlet lips formed around the words, "Tell me their names?"

Remus blinked at her, privately wondering if she'd regressed back to a mental age of two, and inquired impatiently, "You want me to give them names?"

"No, silly," came her giggling reply. "_Name_ them. You know, give them specie names."

"Look, Eve," he said with a sigh, sucking his cheeks in, "I'm not really-"

"Oh, please? I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job naming them." Eve prompted.

Doing his best to ignore the usually discreet and lovely scent of her lilac perfume as he unsuccessfully tried to withdraw his now-heightened sense of smell, he exhaled and began wearily, "Uh, this could be called a _walfurus callucus._ That one over there is, uh… it's a…" He continued racking his brain for made up words that could be mistaken for scientific names as the persistent throbbing inside his mind continued throwing itself around as if it wanted to break free. That perfume of hers definitely wasn't doing him any favors this time of the month.

As he continued his ramblings, she leaned in a little closer to him to lightly run her fingers along the lines that composed the otherworldly creatures. This only caused her hair to tickle his nose, irritating him further. Scratching an itch on his cheek, he picked up a second scent, which he assumed was from the shampoo he used for her hair. Strawberry mixed with lilac, although he was certain it was as pleasant of an aroma as that of a warm summer's day, was doing a meticulous job of overwhelming his senses. His heartbeat quickened, and he began to tap his foot against the ground, just to give him some control, something to do that wouldn't drive him out of his mind. Unfortunately, it seemed as though Eve felt the need to place her hand on his arm and make small circles against it 

with her thumb to show that she was paying attention. This, on top of the fact that Remus was currently easily upset, caused him to lose the last shred of his sane self he had.

Feeling his control snap within him like a twig being obliterated by a giant stepping on it, Remus flipped the sketchpad shut and forced it into his book bag. Hauling it over his shoulder, he gave Eve a push to get her to sit up straight and allow him to rise to his feet.

"Eve, I don't know what the bloody hell has gotten into you, but I'll have you know that I don't appreciate it in the least. In fact, I'll have you know that it has been quite the nuisance to me."

Eve's jaw dropped in authentic shock; she certainly knew she didn't deserve to be spoken to like that when a simple, 'Please stop,' would've sufficed.

She shut her mouth once to swallow, and then opened it again to attempt to say something. It didn't quite work the first time, so she tried again and stuttered, "I-I'm sorry, Remus, I thought that-"

"Yeah, well, you thought wrong!" His eyes showed a spark of silver in them as they narrowed, and his face turned such a deep scarlet that it was almost violet.

Startled, the witch fluttered her eyes in a futile attempt to ward off the tears forming in them. She looked down, allowing her hair to curtain her face from the world as she clandestinely wiped a pair of tears off her cheek. While her eyes were on the ground, she sniffled and offered quietly, "Please accept my apology, Remus."

Remus checked the time and found, to his horror, that he had little over an hour left until moonrise. Without saying another word, he sprinted from the library as fast as his legs would take him.

"I-I don't want this to ruin our friendship just because I misunderstood- Remus?" She'd looked up and found a vacant space where the wizard had once stood. Oh, the nerve of that boy! First he yells at her, and then he leaves right when she's apologizing! Grabbing her book bag, she scoffed low in her throat as she marched out, wiping off her lipstick as she went.

.x:X:x.

Eve slammed the door to the girls' dorm shut once she stepped inside. A small shiver shimmied up her spine, as the air was chilled from the unusually cool night. She carried on with getting through her nightly routine as quickly as possible, so she could slip beneath the warm covers of her bed and think through that day's events.

Her movements were more harsh that evening, more forced, as she readied herself for bed. She yanked her nightgown over her head so hard that she nearly ripped a sleeve off, her gums were sore and bleeding a little with the amount of pressure she applied to her toothbrush when she brushed her teeth, and she'd ripped her hairbrush straight through her curls, causing a dull throb to spread through her scalp. Ugh, that boy had made her so… so… _Ugh_!

Lily had waltzed in right as Eve was settling herself beneath her covers and recalling what had taken place between her and Anna when they bumped into each other on their way to their respective common rooms to retire for the evening.

"So… How did everything go?" Anna had inquired cautiously, not sure whether or not she'd be scolded for letting slip her best friend's secret, given the cold shoulder, or spoken to as if nothing at all had happened earlier that day.

Eve had whipped around to the blonde and given her an eyeful of her crimson-from-crying eyes and the raw red tint to her skin that accompanied scrubbing off her make-up with a handkerchief.

With a gasp, Anna asked, "Dear Merlin, what happened to you?"

"Bad things, Anna. Very, very bad things. I flirted, and I'm certain I made quite a fool of myself by doing so, but _then_, he just snapped at me! I thought you said he _fancied_ me!" Eve fumed.

"He does! Er, well, that's what Sirius told me, at least…" Anna lowered her voice a little at the end as she rethought her statement.

"Yeah, well, a right idiotic move that turned out to be." Eve said. Rubbing her nose, her voice quieted as she continued to speak, "He obviously doesn't fancy me, and now I've probably ruined our friendship irreparably." Sighing, she wiped a tear she didn't even feel forming off the corner of her eye and mumbled disgustedly, "I can't believe I let myself go through with this. He probably hates me, now."

Anna had opened her mouth to speak, but Eve, by that time, had already turned and walked off toward the Gryffindor Common Room. The blonde considered going after her before she could slip in through the portrait, but she knew she was going to need her space and some time to herself if she was going to get over all that had happened that day.

"Either you're pondering the meaning of life, or you're blanking out," Lily teased lightly with a smirk.

Eve blinked, drawing back from her thoughts, and looked up at the redhead as she sat down gracefully on the edge of her bed, pulling her earrings from her lobes. "Oh, uh… I suppose I fall under the 'pondering the meaning of life' category, because my mind is, unfortunately, anything but blank right now."

Lily tilted her head to one side and, sliding her feet out of her slippers, spread her body out along her bed and furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity. "If you don't mind my asking… what _are_ you thinking about so deeply?"

Eve threw her head back against the headboard of her bed and looked at the ceiling, turning over the idea of retelling what had occurred that day between her and her best friend and her and her project partner to the inquiring girl. Sure she'd been in the same house as her for seven years, and it was true that their beds had always been right next to one another's, but they'd never _really_ gotten to know each other like she and Anna had as best friends. However, seeing as she was currently having a fight with said best friend, and her evening had been blown to hell, she felt a burning desire in the pit of her stomach to talk with someone, _anyone_, about this, just to let it all out, and maybe even get some feedback on what she should do next. _Besides,_ she reasoned, _Lily seems like a decent person. She doesn't strike me as the type who'd judge someone or spread gossip around the school._

Rolling over to face her, the brunette spilled to her fellow Gryffindor every last detail of her horrible day, starting with when Anna lured her into the bathroom to give her a makeover and ending with Remus scolding her and leaving without even announcing his departure. All throughout this one-sided conversation, Lily's facial expressions slipped between pain and slight amusement, but the one constant Eve saw in the other girl's emerald eyes was sympathy.

"… So, yeah… to sum up, I don't fancy him, but I read in the tarot cards that something would become of us, and so Anna tried to help me, but we got into a fight, and I tried to give Remus a push to see where it would get us, and it just ended up upsetting him to the point that I don't know where we stand anymore." Eve sighed, happy to get that off her chest, but at the same time a little nervous that it might somehow leak out to people she didn't want it to get to. "Lily, could I ask you to keep this to yourself? I don't want the whole school to hear this."

"Oh, of course, Eve, I'll take it to my grave." Lily vowed, shifting lightly beneath her crimson covers. "Not to sound rude, but… may I offer you some advice to help make amends?"

Eve nodded her head vigorously; boy, did she need some direction in this mess she got herself into!

"Well," Lily ran a strand of her ginger hair through her fingers and said, "it seems to me, and this is just my observation, you needn't follow through with anything I suggest, that you need to sit down and have a frank conversation with Anna and tell her how you feel. Sure, it may feel a little awkward, but I assure that, if it's done properly, it'll be very rewarding, and your friendship with her will be put back on track."

Eve blinked once and nodded. She knew that she'd have to talk to Anna, but the way Lily said it made it sound so simple, as if were as easy as taking a break for tea. This calmed some of her fears and anxieties, so much so that the brunette found that she was actually looking forward to mending her broken relationship in this manner.

"Thank you, Lily." Eve extended her hand and Lily met her halfway so they could exchange a shake. "I regret now not taking the time to get to know you better. You seem like a very level-headed person."

"Oh, you've obviously never caught me when I'm short of temper." Lily grinned. "I'm notorious for it, my temper, that is. And you've also never seen me the week before NEWTs; I go positively bonkers trying to study everything. At any rate, I'm sure we'll take the time to remedy that soon, but I'm not finished with you, yet. I have some more advice, if you'd like to hear it, on what you should do about Remus."

Eve leaned forward to show that Lily had her full attention.

"Well, I've known Remus for a long time. That being said, I know that he certainly has his… his times when he's touchy and his emotions run high, and I'll bet anything that tonight was one of those times." When Eve gave her a confused look, she tried to explain her meaning better. "Think about it like a girl's monthly. Don't you feel different when you have your period? He definitely has a certain 'time of the month', so to speak, when he is easily upset. What I suggest you do is, like Anna, just have a talk with him, and maybe even tell him what you've told me." Offering an understanding smile when the brunette shook her head in a firm 'no', she held up a hand and said, "Alright, alright, then you should at least tell him about what Sirius told Anna and she, in turn, told you. Also," she grinned here, and a spark ignited in her eyes, "a little bit of chocolate wouldn't hurt. He's quite the chocoholic, you know."

"Ah, yes. I figured that out tonight when I gave him a piece from my stash. You know, my stash for my monthlies? He seemed to calm down temporarily after he ate it." Eve sighed and gazed out the window at the horizon, which was illuminating, declaring to the nighttime world that the full moon was soon to rise. "Yeah… I don't know what that whole fiasco with The Lovers card was about… It must've just been a fluke."

"Or maybe you were just pushing it too hard, too quickly. Now, I'm no expert at tarot, but I have a feeling that the readings are for things that'll just _naturally_ happen in life with the way things are going so far, not something that you can force into happening when you want them to happen. Besides, these things take time. Now, if this card will hold as big of an impact on your life as you explained to me, then it will develop on its own, I assure you."

Eve nodded, deep in thought. Lily was right, she couldn't force her predictions to come true, she had to allow them the time and space necessary to bloom and flourish.

"Well," she began, fiddling with the corner of her blanket, "Remus definitely doesn't fancy me, and, after what took place today, I can't see him ever fancying me."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Lily offered with a sincere smile. "Based solely on this conversation, I'd say you're the type of girl he'd go for."

Grinning a little showed that she acknowledged what the redhead had said, though her words continued as if she hadn't said a thing, "I can't picture him fancying me; doing things just to make me happy, telling me how much he adores my smile or my eyes or how I make him feel… or letting the last image he sees in his mind's eye before falling asleep be me."

.x:X:x.

A thin layer of perspiration coated every inch of the bare flesh exposed on the werewolf. He knew that the moon was going to rise soon; he could _feel_ it. He knew that, once the moon was up, taking her throne in the sky as the silver goddess of night, his mates would arrive in their animal forms to keep him company.

He never let them watch him in between states, which is to say, he never allowed them to watch him transform. As 'wicked' as they all thought it would be to watch a werewolf metamorphose, he knew the truth; he knew the agony he'd undergo and, in essence, would let them know of if they watched, as he'd be howling and shrieking under the weight of it. Where else would the Shrieking Shack have gotten its name if not from the horrific pain echoed in his moaning? No, he was best off alone, just like any of his kind was best off as. Always alone…

Remus had long since discarded his shirt out of irritation from the heat that clung to him. It lay on the creaky bed beside him, collecting the dust that had accumulated on the comforters that, contrary to their name, offered very little comfort. Looking down at his twitching, glistening torso, he was reminded of the animal he became once a month by the jagged scars that zigzagged along his body. He was so ashamed of them, so embarrassed by their appearance, that he even had difficulty getting himself to pull off his shirt in that room, where he knew he was alone and couldn't be seen and ridiculed by others.

Running his hands through his hair, he rose from the mattress and began pacing the floor with his hands folded and resting on his head. What a horrible day it'd been. Well, every day before the night of the full moon was terrible, but that day had been especially so, with everything that'd gone on between him and Eve. It hadn't been until then that he'd thought of how much he'd overreacted when he yelled at her, which just proved to him how far gone he had been. Why had it gotten to him, though? He'd enjoyed it a little at first, he couldn't deny that, but soon the attention became overwhelming.

_My senses,_ he thought, _they're heightened. Maybe she over-stimulated my senses to such a degree that I needed to get them… unstimulated? That sounds ridiculous._ He pushed the notion back into his subconscious that he was only trying to push her away before they both got hurt, as he really didn't want to deal with it right then. The Marauders had pointed that out to him on many an occasion in the past regarding a girl he'd fancied, that he kept the girls he fancied at bay, and he firmly refuted their accusations, not wanting to bring it into the light of his conscious mind. If he kept it buried, he wouldn't have to deal with it, and he wouldn't be in any more pain than he already was.

A sting rushed up his legs like a tidal wave, and he crashed to the ground, feeling as his bones began to shift and lengthen one by one. The time had come, the moon had risen; all he could do now was allow the beast to take over.

As he felt his muscles rip and repair, his joints crush and rebuild, his skin stretch and reach, and his voice raise and holler, only two things came to mind as his conscious wavered and blackened: Eve, and the wide-eyed look on her face as he snapped at her.


	5. Making Amends: Part One

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** First off, I'd like to say that, even though she was behaving quite oddly, there are many reasons why Eve acted the way she did in the last chapter, as strange as it was. I promise that everyone will see why in the future chapters, when her character is more established and her relationship with Remus solidifies. I realized after reading the chapter over again that it might have been a bit confusing, but it is important, and it does come into play in multiple ways, as everyone will see in future chapters. This is just one of those fanfictions that requires reading all the chapters in order to understand it fully and in depth. **However**, I've edited chapter four to tone her behavior down a bit, as, after I read it again, I figured out that I did have a little wiggle room to do so, though I didn't think I did when I was writing it up the first time. **Please re-read chapter four in order to see what's been altered.**

Secondly, I'd like to say that **I'm extremely sorry for the week delay in updating**; as I stated in my last chapter's author's note, the week that I would've been writing the chapter up was an exceptionally and unusually busy week for me. **Please enjoy, and continue to leave reviews!**

**Publish Date:** Sunday, January 27, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Five: Making Amends: Part One

Step, step, step, step, step, turn, step, step, step, step, step, turn… Eve paced along the entrance of the Great Hall, formulating a way to start up a conversation with Anna that wouldn't be awkward, and yet would heal their shattered friendship.

_Hmm_… She thought. _Maybe I could just start by apologizing? No. No, that'd just be odd. After all, I wasn't the one who committed the wrong. Well, maybe if I-_

Her train of thought was cut off when a flash of blonde crashed into her vision and she inadvertently bumped into the owner of said hair.

"Sorry," the brunette murmured, rubbing the arm she banged against the other student. "I didn't mean to… Anna!" Clearing her throat, she said, "Anna, there's something I want to tell you."

"There's something I've got to tell you." Anna blurted out at the same time.

Eve chuckled lightly. Well, this was a good start; it seemed as though they were each on the same page.

"See, here's the thing, Anna-"

"No, you really need to hear what I have to say-"

"That's very kind of you, but I think I should make the opening statement, and then you can make your… well, whatever it is you're going to make. I really think you ought to hear this, Anna, I'd really like for us to-"

"No, Eve, I mean you _really_ need to hear what I have to say; I heard that Remus is in the Hospital Wing, and that he _really_ doesn't look good."

Eve felt her face drain completely of all blood and feeling, leaving her pale and numb. "_What?!_ I just saw him last night. Sure, he was a little under the weather, but… I mean… He can't be _that_ bad, can he?"

Anna nodded, her steel-blue eyes wide. "I heard he is. I haven't seen him for myself- I don't really know him- but I've heard he's not only unwell, but that he's physically battered. Word on the grapevine is that there was a potion or a spell or something of the like that went awry." Lightly touching her friend's arm, she said, "I just thought you should know. I thought you'd want to know."

Eve blinked, scarcely able to believe her ears; as if it wasn't enough that the poor boy had been plagued by his illness the day before, something else had to come along and knock him down even further. What made her feel even worse was that her behavior the previous night definitely didn't help matters. He probably cringed at the thought of her now, which entirely ruled out her visiting him.

"Thanks for letting me know, Anna, I really appreciate it." Eve lightly placed her hand over her friend's and gave it a gentle squeeze. She smiled softly before looking down and saying, "But… I doubt that he'd want to see me after yesterday's-"

"I bumped into Lily, and she told me to tell you that he asked for you."

"He _what?_" Eve asked in shock.

"Yes, he's asking for you." Anna encouraged lightly, giving her friend's shoulder a pat to send her friend on her way. After giving her a little push down the corridor, the blonde quietly said after a moment's hesitation, "I… I really am sorry… You know, for what I told Sirius."

Pausing in her steps, Eve slowly turned around and, with a whisper of an upturn in her lips, replied, "I… I know you are. Really, I do. _Now_, I do, anyway. I… I _sort_ of get your slip of the tongue, and, while I don't approve of it, I want you to know that-"

"Eve," Anna interrupted as an apologetic hill formed between her eyebrows. "We'll talk about this later, alright? Remus is in a worse condition than I am right now, and he really sounds like he wants you. We can talk about everything later." She smiled lightly to mirror Eve, and watched as the brunette turned and walked away.

.x:X:x.

"May I help you, dear?" The aged Healer greeted Eve as she entered the Hospital Wing.

"Oh, um," Eve began as she rubbed the back of her head, suddenly feeling rather foolish for even thinking of bothering Remus. Sure, he'd sent for her, but the wounds from the previous day's embarrassing flirting-gone-wrong were still fresh, and she wasn't ready for him to verbally rub a bubbling hot potion into them; Merlin knew how much that would sting. At any rate, it sounded like Remus needed his rest, not to get himself all worked up and livid at the sight of her.

"I'm here to see Remus Lupin, Ma'am," the young witch finally replied to the older one. "I hear he isn't well, and that he's asked for me."

Madam Pomfrey narrowed her eyes at Eve and surveyed her for a minute. She was fiercely protective of all her patients, sure, but the condition of the young man in question made her _over_protective of him and his secret, as she'd made a vow to herself once she was informed of his monthly curse that she would guard his secret until he left Hogwarts and was out of her care and longer, if he so desired.

"Right this way." Eve didn't look as if she was suspicious of Remus. She wasn't grinning from ear to ear, nor was she bouncing on the balls of her feet in unrestrained excitement to see him in such a battered state. The young witch was merely standing before her with a look creased into her face that whispered of worry and concern.

Thick robes billowing, Madam Pomfrey led Eve down the aisle between the beds framed by their cubicles of thin curtains for privacy. Along the way, the Healer stopped to feel the forehead of a girl who Eve felt was wearing expressions too thought-out to be authentic.

"Ah, for Merlin's sake, you're fine. Go, go, go." The healer shooed the girl from her cot, receiving harsh mumbles and blatant looks of protest as she left.

With a few mumbled words and flicks of her wand, Madam Pomfrey sterilized the area. Fresh, crisp sheets folded themselves down at the foot of the bed before she continued on her way with Eve.

Once they reached the last cot on the right (which, Eve couldn't help but notice with slight intrigue, was several beds away from the nearest occupied cubicle), Madam Pomfrey opened the curtain and shielded Eve's view of Remus as she spoke.

"You have another visitor, Mr. Lupin." Lowering her voice, she offered, "If you become too _tired_ to see your visitors anymore, remember-"

"'I can call for you to escort them out.'" Remus recited. "Yes, I remember. Thank you, Madam Pomfrey." Eve could hear how raw and hoarse his voice sounded, like grit scratching against concrete. When he coughed, it made her grimace and wrap her fingers around her own throat, as if she were the one who had spoken in such a manner.

The first thing that Eve saw when the Healer took her reluctant leave was not Remus as she had expected it would be, instead it was Lily, sitting in a cushioned chair she'd previously pulled up to his cot. She was holding his hand, and was obviously at the end of an important conversation, as she was leaning in close to him.

"Oh!" Eve exclaimed, clapping her hands over her O-shaped mouth as her face turned a shade of scarlet so deep that it put the eye of a dragon to shame.

"Oh, Lily, I'm so sorry. I hadn't the faintest idea! And all those things I dumped on you last night…" With a disgusted groan, she assured the redhead, "I _never_ would've done those things if I knew; I swear it!"

Lily rose from her seat slowly, and, blinking in confusion, inquired, "Eve, what are you talking about?" She walked to her and led her back out into the aisle, out of hearing range from Remus.

Dropping her hands to her sides, frustrated with herself for not understanding sooner, Eve sighed heavily and replied, "I'm talking about you and Remus; I hadn't a clue that you two were… were…"

"_Courting?_" Lily supplied for her. After a moment, she began laughing. "No, no, no, you have it all wrong; we're not courting, silly!"

If it were possible, Eve's face turned an even deeper shade of color, leading her from the scarlet realm and into the violet one. "Oh, Merlin, I-I'm so sorry! I just… I just assumed… I mean, you two were so close… a-and with the handholding… I-I just assumed…" Trying to look anywhere but Lily's giggling jade eyes for a moment, she caught sight of Remus, gazing up at the ceiling. Anna was right; he really _was_ in bad shape! His flesh looked altogether too pale to still be considered living. His hair was mussed, as it had been the night before, though it was even more so that morning. Deep navy bruises littered his skin like freckles, and there were several long strips of gauze along his torso and arms, and a few shorter ones on his neck and face, that were in the process of being bled through.

"How silly of me," Eve murmured with a weak smile as she turned back around to face her fellow Gryffindor. "What a folly I've made this morning."

"Don't worry about it. I promise you, Remus and I are just good friends; that's all we've ever been, and that's all we'll ever be. 'Sides," Lily said with a mischievous smirk, "I've got my eye on a rather annoying Quidditch player." Chuckling, she waved good-bye to Remus and Eve before turning and taking her leave.

Eve waved back before drawing in a deep breath to compose herself. She could do this; she just had to apologize for her actions, ask his forgiveness and friendship, and (although she was dreading the very thought of it) maybe even do a little explaining. Of course, if it came right down to it and she absolutely _had_ to clarify why she had been doing the things she did, she would edit the actual story into something that wouldn't be too mortifying to tell him.

Sighing, she rubbed her hands together and approached Remus. Just as she was opening her mouth to begin speaking, the young wizard addressed her.

"So, you and Lily know each other, then?"

Eve blinked at him. What an obvious question to ask. Then again, she and Remus were in the same year and house, and they scarcely knew each other before their Astronomy project was assigned to them.

"Of course I do." Eve replied with a smile as she moved to occupy Lily's vacant seat. _Ooh, warm!_ The heat Lily left behind in the chair was soothing to the witch, and calmed her down a smidge. "Not only are we in the same house, but we sleep next to each other every night."

Remus's eyebrows furrowed, and he slowly turned his head to gaze with curiosity at Eve. It was a full minute before the witch realized her verbal blunder, and she shook a mock-stern finger at him.

"Remus, don't you dare-"

"Really? Sleep right next to each other?" He offered a tiny grin and asked with the trademark mischievous Marauder glint in his eye, "Care to expand on that?"

"Oh!" Eve exclaimed, flicking his ear. "Even ill, you, Mr. Lupin, are a gutter brain. I meant our _beds_ are right next to each other!"

Remus didn't even miss a beat; he grinned wider and repeated, "Care to expand on that?"

Eve laughed and, trying to make an angry face (though it was exceptionally difficult, given the jokes the Marauder was tossing out left and right), declared, "Fine, if that's all you called me down here for, to give you a few fantasies to mull over in that dirty little mind of yours, then I'm leaving." She rose from her seat and put on a show of walking away, though she wasn't actually planning on deserting him.

She felt a cold hand grab hold of hers and a much more sincere voice implore, "Please, don't go; I was only teasing."

Eve turned to face the injured boy and, with a minute trace of a grin, assured him, "So was I," before slowly lowering herself into her seat. Furrowing her eyebrows in concern, Eve gently squeezed Remus's freezing hand and, pressing it to her warm cheek, murmured, "You're so cold, Remus."

The young wizard shut his eyes at this glimpse of heated relief and soaked up as much warmth as he could to thaw his icicle-esque fingers. "You're always so warm, Eve," he murmured gratefully.

Doing her best to avoid making contact with Remus's wounds, Eve gently pulled his neglected hand into her vacant one, gently squeezing and thumbing the back of it to give him some warmth. The young man made a small noise in his throat in encouragement.

"Merlin, Remus, why are you so cold?" She winced as she allowed her stormy gray eyes to sweep over his mauled body once more. It looked like a wild animal had gotten to him, what with all the scratch-like gashes marking his flesh. Curiosity got the best of the witch, however, when she leaned in closer to her friend and dull markings not unlike the fresh ones polluting his skin caught her eye.

Remus, catching onto the drawn-out silence between them and feeling her lean over him for some reason or another, cracked one eye open to see what she was doing. As soon as his mind registered that she had found his scars, his chocolate eyes widened, and he flinched away from her and pulled the blanket up over his arms until it was neck-high. He was horribly self-conscious of the, as his mates liked to call them, 'battle scars' that adorned his body, as they were a reminder of each full moon that passed, a reminder of what he was, a reminder of the beast that always dwelled within…

Fluttering her eyes quickly, Eve quickly withdrew her hands from him and said, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" She trailed off when Remus shook his head and made a frail attempt at a particularly puny 'that's okay' smile. Sighing, she brushed a curl out of her face and scanned the little cubicle with a Healer's eye. Well, while she was here, she might as well help him a little.

Eve felt like smacking herself in the forehead when a folded blanket at the foot of the bed entered her line of vision. No wonder why the poor boy was cold; he just needed another, thicker, blanket.

Standing up and striding to the end of the cot, she lifted up the edge of the fluffy, cream-colored blanket and, shaking it out a little, pulled it up so that it was covering Remus's tall frame. His eyebrows jumped up into his jagged bangs, startled that she was actually taking the time to tuck him in.

"There, that's better." She decided. With a tender smile, she inquired, "Are you warmer, now?"

Remus shifted around a little where he lay. Actually… he _was_ feeling quite a bit warmer. He honestly hadn't noticed that comforter down by the end of the bed. When he was first brought in early that morning, he was in far too much pain to notice anything but the striking agony that kept him writhing. Once he was given a few potions to help numb and heal him, he was more interested in getting some much-needed rest than with surveying his safe surroundings. Besides, with every thought he had swirling about and thumping against the inside of his head, he really wasn't at his sharpest that day.

"Yes… actually, I am. Thanks, Eve." Remus responded with a genuine, albeit exhausted, smile. He sat in silence with her for a few minutes before Eve shattered it by clearing her throat, on the verge of asking the question he knew had to be asked at some point or another.

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened to you? I mean… Remus… you really don't look well." She reached up with a cautious hand to brush a few stray strands of tawny hair out of his eyes so his view of her wasn't obstructed. "See, I heard there was a spell gone loose, but you know one can never be too sure of the authenticity of the gossip going 'round nowadays-"

"Yeah… It was a spell. I don't know what kind it was, and I don't really want to find out." One half of his lip curled upward as he said this, a wry, dry grin that showed no humor. "I can't even remember very much of the incident; one moment I was just standing around, and the next I woke up here to Lily sitting with me."

"I'm sorry this happened to you, Remus," Eve offered sincerely. "This shouldn't have happened; you don't deserve it." She paused to bow her head before continuing after a moment, "And… And I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner. Truth be told, I didn't know about your situation until Anna told me. She said… She said you'd asked for me." Lifting her gaze to meet his, silver to chocolate, she inquired, "What… _was_ it that you wanted to see me for, anyway?" To be perfectly honest, Eve was half-hoping for that talk she wanted to have with him, although she was half-dreading it, as well. She just wanted to acknowledge what had happened the previous day, say sorry, and move on with their lives and friendship. She just hoped to Merlin that he would accept her apology and move on with her.

"Oh, yes, I did, as a matter of fact." Remus began, fiddling with the corner of his blanket as some nerves set in. He could only pray he did this properly and didn't bollocks it up. "What I called you down here for was to-"

"Alright, Mr. Lupin, it is time for you to take your next round of potions." The command resonated from the lips of none other than Madam Pomfrey as she glided with ease through the curtains, holding a hefty tray with potions for all her patients to take. Sleeves flapping, she set down the tray on his nightstand and quickly selected three vials filled with liquids of varying hues and sizes- one large flagon of a bright, metallic gold potion; one small flask of a cloudy, ivory substance; and one medium container of a swirling midnight fluid- and left them there for him to take.

"Take these immediately," the Healer urged before taking up the tray in her arms once more. "I have other students to tend to; I'll expect to collect all three empty vials when I return." With that, she dashed right out, calling, "I'm on my way!" to an aching student crying out for assistance.

Thoughts of the conversation they had previously been trying to hold were gone, as Remus turned to glare with obvious disgust at the potions.

As he reached for one, Eve inquired, "What's with the look? You look like you just tasted a lemon."

With a sigh, he shook his head and said, "These bloody potions taste so… Ugh! I swear, the person who can come up with a potion that actually tastes _good_ will be rich to no end." With a grin, he said, "I would _love_ for someone to invent a way to make all potions taste like chocolate." Shutting his eyes, he puckered up as he prepared to raise one of the glasses to his lips.

At the mention of chocolate, Eve remembered that she'd brought a bar of it to give to Remus as part of her apology. Yeah, he _definitely_ owed her big for all the chocolate she was giving him! She grinned at the thought, but before she could speak up about her gift, she realized something.

"Remus, I know a way to make you feel better quicker." She discreetly slipped the chocolate onto the nightstand behind the remaining pair of potions.

"Well, tell me after I drink these, alright? It's easier for me to down them quickly before I have second thoughts." His nose scrunched up as he caught a whiff of the horrid stuff.

"No, that's what I'm saying; you're not taking the potions in the proper order!" She handed him the tube that contained the cloud-white solution and switched it out for the one in his clutch that held the ebony potion. "You ought to take this one first, then the golden one, and then the black one."

Remus furrowed his eyebrows in curiosity. "There's never been an order to these before; Madam Pomfrey never said anything about that."

"This is a bit of new research that they're coming out with; they've found out that, when multiple potions are needed to be taken, there's a specific order they need to be taken in. Madam Pomfrey strikes me as the kind of Healer who likes to do things the old-fashioned way, so it's not surprising to me that she hasn't set it into effect. At any rate, generally the order that potions need to be taken in is from most important to least important. For instance, the white potion will help heal any physical wounds you have, so it goes first, the gold potion will treat your immune system so you're brought back to perfect health sooner, and the black one will keep you in a relatively positive mental state by repelling negativity. See? Most important and relevant potion first, and the least important and relevant potion last. It won't hurt you if you take them out of order, but taking them in this order should help the effects of the potions occur quicker."

Remus was, to say the least, impressed when he heard Eve speak this way. It was obvious just how much she wanted to be a Healer, as that information was never covered in a class, so it implied that she'd done some research on her own. He had to hand it to her; she seemed determined and dedicated.

"Makes sense, I s'pose," Remus said with a nod as he drank the potions in the order she mentioned. Before he had time to put the container of the last potion down, he already felt happy, bubbly warmth radiate from his core and spread until it reached the very tips of his fingers and toes.

"This order really _does_ work better; it usually takes about five minutes for any noticeable difference to take place. Thanks!" He peeled back one of his bandages and watched as a wound closed even further than it did with the first set of potions. He knew that after one or two more potion rounds, he'd be completely healed.

Chuckling at her friend's amazement, Eve shook her head and said, "No problem; I'm glad I could help."

Remus made to press the bandage back along his arm, but frowned when he found that it no longer had any useful adhesive as a result of the blood slicking it. When Eve saw this, she looked around for some spare gauze and bandages and, upon discovering them in the drawer of the table beside Remus's cot, she placed them on his bed and gently inquired, "Would you like me to help with your bandages? They all look like they've soaked through and are ready to pop off any minute."

The werewolf looked a bit nervous at the idea, and, swallowing, said, "Ah… There's no need; I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will do it when she returns." This made him recall how upset he'd gotten two nights previous when Sirius brought up the point that Eve could be his own personal Healer, if he ever told her his secret, and so he wasn't sure he wanted her to start helping him, frightened that she might feel obliged to do so in the future.

Eve walked to the edge of the curtain and peeked her head out around the corner of it. She saw the aged witch at the beginning of the long row of cots, having difficulty with a particularly ill student who, from what she could hear the Healer saying, had actually consumed an enchanted plant from Herbology. At this rate, Remus would be leaking blood all over the bed sheets by the time Madam Pomfrey came back.

Turning to him, she grabbed the gauze and said, "She won't be back for a while, so you may as well let me give it a go." When he continued to give her an apprehensive look, she tried to soothe him by teasing with a wink, "Hey, it'll be good practice for when I'm a Healer someday. 'Sides, I'm sure I know what I'm doing. I promise I won't hurt you, and I won't tell anyone about your injuries; patient/Healer confidentiality."

Gazing into her grinning face, Remus felt his opposition slowly melt away. Well, when she put it _that_ way… "Alright, but only replenish the ones on my face and arms; they're the ones that need changing the most."

"Well, where else _do_ you have them?"

Remus's cheeks tinted a light pink, and Eve cleared her throat to end that particular discussion as the answer came to her without explanation: _Everywhere_.

"Sorry," she whispered before moving her hand to hover over the already half-off bandage on his arm. He tensed up and squeezed his eyes shut, expecting for it to hurt because of his arm hair sticking to it, but when it didn't, he slowly opened his eyes to find that both his arms were bare and exposed, and that she was working on pulling off the ones on his face. Neglecting to even feel those bandages being stripped off, his muscles began to loosen and relax under his skin.

Her nimble fingers obviously knew what they were doing, as she took to gently wiping the crimson liquid from his wounds and cleaning the gashes out. It did sting every once in a while, but not nearly so much as he was used to. He figured that Madam Pomfrey, although exceptionally accomplished in her work, needed to hurry to get to each student that needed her attention, and so rushed while with him to do so.

Just as Remus was noticing how pleasant Eve's heated fingers felt dancing along his skin as she patched him up, he heard Eve softly clear her throat and gently inquire, "So… What is it you called me here for, again?"

"Oh, um…" Remus shifted around in his seat a little to sit up more as he prepared himself for what he was going to say. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday."

Eve froze where she was. That was it? He was going to say he was sorry for _his_ behavior last night? What about her? Wasn't he going to scold her for _her_ actions? She waited for him to get around to giving her a lecture, but when he remained silent and his eyes remained watching her for her next move, she shook her head and replied, "No, _I_ need to apologize for _my_ behavior, Remus. You probably wouldn't have gotten angry if I hadn't … er…" She didn't know how to proceed, and so widened her eyes in a clueless expression as she pressed new gauze onto his wounds.

"Why… Why _were_ you acting that way, anyway?" Remus inquired curiously.

Eve sighed in frustration as the gauze wouldn't stay in place while she put the bandage on and replied, "Oh… I don't know… It's just…" She glanced down at the bulge in her book bag where her tarot cards lay and, shaking her head in opposition to going down that route of the story, she began again, "See, Anna told me something that made me…" She exhaled and squeezed the bridge of her nose to focus her thoughts before deciding to skip what she was going to say altogether and simplify it by giving him the vague truth. "Well, let's just say it's something that Anna told me that made me act that way."

Remus furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before shaking his head and murmuring under his breath, "_Girls_." Honestly, sometimes he wished Hogwarts would offer a class where the intricacies of the female mind were taught to the male portion of the school. What could her best friend have possibly told her that would make her act the way she did?

_Heh, perhaps they could call the class 'Female Mentality 101.'_ He mused with a grin.

Blinking at the curly top of Eve's bowed head, Remus tried again to apologize in such a manner that Eve couldn't counteract it with another apology or fault of her own.

"Still," he began, moving his arm up a little so she could tend to a wound there, "regardless of your conduct at our meeting, I had no right to snap at you like that."

"Remus, you were ill-," She protested, raising her head.

"My health, no matter how much of a decline it has been in, is no excuse for the way I treated you, Eve. I truly am sorry." Alright, so Remus was always more lenient with his friends than he should've been. Who could blame him? After all, it was difficult for a werewolf to find decent friends who would stand by his side. Even though this girl hadn't the slightest inkling of the nature of his condition- or, at least, she'd seemed to go for his little fib as to how he received his injuries- he couldn't help but feel like he should cut her some slack, too, since he was doing so for his other friends. However, he truly did feel sorry that he spoke with her in such a manner the day before, and wanted to let her know it.

Eve blinked and, after a pause, began chuckling. "We're a stubborn lot, aren't we- we Gryffindors?" Remus felt himself start to laugh, as well, and before the two knew it, they were having a grand old time trying to catch their breaths only to laugh some more.

After a couple minutes of their laugh attack, they found themselves slumped over where they sat, panting and breathless.

"How about this," Eve offered through the slight grin that was residue on her lips from giggling so much. "We _both_ agree that we're sorry, and we'll move past this. Agreed?" She stuck out her hand toward him.

Grasping her hand, Remus nodded firmly and concurred. "Agreed." He gave her hand a light shake before releasing it to allow her to tug at a bandage that didn't seem to lay down correctly the first time.

Although the other didn't know it, each of them was inwardly sighing with relief at getting over this hurtle. Each had their head bent forward and a ghost of a smile on their lips with the same thought running through their minds: _Mission accomplished._

"There, I'm all finished," Eve announced as she released his arm, allowing him to have it back.

The werewolf took a minute to survey the work done on him, and he had to admit- she did a wonderful job. "Thanks, Eve." He said before nestling his head back into his fluffy pillow. "I'm starting to feel better, already." He grinned up at her and couldn't help but tease while taking her hand, "You have the hands of a Healer, m'lady."

Eve giggled and shook her head. "Well, I'm glad I could help." With a sigh, she caught sight of the watch on his wrist and immediately jumped up out of her chair. "Woah! Time really _does_ fly!" Gathering up her book bag, she waved and said, "I have to go to class, now. I'll be back later with our homework, alright? We can work on it together in case you don't get something since you had to miss classes for today. Okay?"

Remus nodded and smiled. "That's very thoughtful of you. Alright, off you go. You know where to find me later."

Before she hurried off, the witch plucked the bar of chocolate off the nightstand and pressed it into his hand, saying, "Here, take this. I know how much you like chocolate, and I _was_ going to use it to bribe you into forgiving me," she smirked at this jest, "but you really look like you need it now, so, here, it's yours." She winked at him as she walked out, "Since it looks like the potions have done their jobs already, I'd say it's alright for you to eat it now."

Waving at her as she departed, he hurriedly unwrapped the chocolate, looking forward to eating the entire thing- _I swear to myself I'll eat healthy tomorrow_- right when Madam Pomfrey whisked in. Her eyes widened in surprise when she found his injuries newly cleaned and bandaged.

"Who did _this?_" She inquired in curiosity and shock.

Her patient merely grinned in response and popped a square of chocolate into his mouth.

.x:X:x.

_Remus felt a light pressure stroking his forehead, urging his eyes to open. He knew he was still in the Hospital Wing, as the crisp sheets crinkled even when he made the slightest of movements on the cot. His ears twitched; he could hear some light humming from above him. The tune was unfamiliar, but it was slow, warm, and soothing to him. Mm… It made him want to fall back to sleep…_

"_Wakey, wakey," A light, smiling voice breathed into his ear._

_Once his eyes fluttered open, he felt the visitor smile against his cheek and murmur contentedly, "Mm, there's a love," before nuzzling said cheek. Remus couldn't help but feel like he should've felt discomfort at the affection from the unknown person, but he instead felt as if he welcomed it, as if he'd known that touch before…_

_As soon as her curly head pulled away from his, he jumped in his place on the cot and stuttered, "E-Eve? What… Why… I thought we…"_

"_Shh…" She urged, pressing the tip of her index finger to his lips. "Here, you should take these, they'll help." She reached over to the bedside table and plucked up several potions in succession._

_He took them from her and drank them down. In between the lowering of one vial and the raising of another, he inquired, "Didn't we already do this today?"_

_She smirked at him, crinkling up her nose in a way Remus deemed as adorable. "Of course we did; this is your second dose of potions for the day, silly."_

_Once the werewolf had set his last potion down, Eve flipped her hair back over her shoulders and moved so that she was sitting on the cot beside him. "Alright, lean forward, now. I promise this will help." After rolling up her sleeves and rubbing her hands together to warm them, she placed her hands on his shoulders and began lightly massaging them, kneading her fingers into his sore muscles with the right balance of depth and gentleness._

"_How does that feel?" She inquired as her fingers worked on a particularly stubborn knot._

"_Mm," Remus could only moan in response._

_The witch giggled and gave him a flirtatious bite at the point of union between his neck and shoulder, to which he replied with a surprised jerk of the shoulder._

"_I love it when you go incoherent because of something I'm doing to you," she teased as her hands slipped lower on his back. Remus felt about ready to fall asleep, and actually began slumping in preparation to do so, but he felt one particularly naughty hand of hers gain a mind of its own and sink lower to give his bum a pinch._

_His eyebrows shot up in shock, but when he turned, he saw the mischievous, slightly blushing face of Eve, completely unabashed by her actions. "All done," she declared with a wink as she scooted over to the side to allow him to lie down once more._

_Shifting about where he lay, he said in awe, "That really _did _work; I feel loads better! Thanks, Eve."_

_With a hand on either side of his form supporting her, Eve hovered over Remus and murmured affectionately, "I adore you. You know that, don't you?"_

_The werewolf didn't know why, but he found himself nodding his head sincerely, as if he really _did_ know that she adored him. With her answer, Eve leaned down a pressed her mouth to his, bringing Remus into a deep, loving kiss unlike any he'd ever had._

Remus's eyes fluttered open as the sound of bark-like laughter filled his ears. He looked up to see Sirius doubled over, pointing at his mate with a face as red as an apple.

"Moony, you are just too much fun sometimes!" He put on a higher voice that Remus supposed was in mockery of his, although it sounded entirely too feminine to be, as he mimicked, "'Mm, oh, Eve, that feels _sooooo_ much better! _Ooh!_'" He then made a show of tonguing the air, which made the werewolf mortifyingly aware that his own tongue was sticking straight out of his mouth.

He hurriedly reeled his tongue back into his head as his friend said, "It sounded like you were having yourself a _really_ good dream, mate," and tossed a long, thin notebook his way.

Remus caught it right as Sirius moved to take a seat next to him on the cot. He mussed the werewolf's hair to show that he'd only been teasing him before he said in a much lower tone, "Sorry I couldn't come down sooner, mate. I slept in this morning 'cause we were out all night with you." He raised his eyebrows, and Remus knew that that was all there was to the apology. "It was fun, though I'm a bit knackered from runnin' 'round all night. Prongs and Wormtail are better than me at waking up early, so I'm sure they were here some time before me, yeah?"

Remus nodded and flipped through the book that Sirius brought, which happened to be his sketchpad. "Thanks, Pads," he said as he flipped through the familiar drawings. Faces of his friends grinned back at him from between the pages, and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Yeah," Sirius said as he flipped his hair out of his eyes. "I figured you'd be bored out of your brain, what with being stuck down here all day. You're always the busy bee, workin' on homework and studyin' and whatnot. Oh, speaking of which, I bumped into Eve a short while ago. She said she was going to bring you your homework later. Well, isn't that sweet?" He teased.

Remus merely nodded.

Sirius smacked his lips together and drummed his fingers against his forearm before trying again, "She's cute."

Remus drew in a breath and narrowed his eyes as if he were inwardly criticizing a drawing of his.

"But, I'm sure you already knew that, what with your dream, and all-"

"Give over, Sirius; we've already discussed this, and I'm _not_ going for her." The werewolf glared at his mate while repeating the mantra, _Get off this topic, get off this topic,_ inside his head.

"And yet the rest of us feel that you should," Sirius replied matter-of-factly.

"Well, that's too bloody bad because I don't fancy her. Merlin, Sirius, you should've seen the way she was acting around me yesterday. I honestly wouldn't have pegged her to be the kind of girl to throw herself at a boy like that."

Upon hearing this, a slow but sure grin blossomed on Sirius's face. "Oh, that's too good. That is too bloody good!"

Remus hesitantly turned to face him. "_What_, exactly, is 'too good'?"

Straightening out his collar and ruffling his hair back, Sirius replied, "Well, see, I had a little chat with Anna. Oh, wait, I already told you this bit… Remember when I told you that Anna told me that Eve thought you were a 'handsome fellow'?"

Remus blushed slightly at this, but nodded to get Sirius to continue.

"Well, see, while we were on the subject, I told her that you fancied Eve, and-"

"You _what?_" Remus's look turned into a red-hot glare. "Is _that_ what this is all about? Eve was doing all that because she thought I fancied her?"

"Most likely," Sirius grinned innocently, causing Remus to sigh. "The bird probably wanted to see if it was true. So, did you return any of her-"

"No! No, of course not!"

"Aw, Moony!" Sirius groaned in disappointment. "You could've at least _pretended_ to have a juicy story to tell me!"

"Well, excuse me for being too out of it to care much to throw myself back at her. At any rate, I wouldn't have even if I _was_ feeling well." Scratching his stubbly chin, which reminded him that he was in desperate need of a shave, Remus continued, "Well… At least I know it wasn't _completely_ her fault for acting the way she did. Thank Merlin for that, otherwise I'd think it was just me who attracted insane project partners all the time."

The two grinned at each other, and, although Remus's feathers were a little ruffled thanks to Sirius's loose lips, he also wasn't going to get into a fight about it. He'd known Sirius and his ways for years. The handsome Marauder was always trying to get Remus a girl, just because he felt that he was too uptight about his condition to even make an attempt. Sirius truly felt that if his friend had a girlfriend, he'd be much more balanced and optimistic, and less meticulous and stubborn about his lycanthropy than he was while single. Sure, Remus had taken him up on his offer before, and had had a couple of girlfriends that Sirius selected and urged him to ask out. Neither of them lasted very long; one girl was only interested in using Remus to get close to Sirius, and the other girl turned out to be the complete opposite of what Remus would go for. Remus didn't feel like he was very picky when it came to the opposite sex, but he certainly wanted a few qualities in a girl: loyalty, honesty, kindness, an open mind, and the ability to be laid-back. The latter girl turned out to be a control freak who needed to know where he was every minute of every day, _and_, as if _that_ weren't bad enough, she, herself, had a thing for chasing after more than one boy at a time. Obviously, that relationship didn't last very long, if one could even call it a relationship.

Sirius was the first to break the silence; he had moved to stand up, which made the bed squeak on its metal springs. Stuffing his hands deep into his pockets, he said softly with a small smile, "You should probably go back to sleep. I'm sorry I woke ya, mate; just thought you'd like something to do."

"Thanks, Padfoot," Remus said honestly as he turned to a clean page and creased while Sirius turned to strut out.

.x:X:x.

By the time the clock in the Astronomy Tower tolled four o'clock, Eve had returned to Remus, weighted down with thick tomes and parchments and quills and inkwells and notebooks that she dumped right onto Remus's cot, narrowly missing a certain part of his anatomy he'd rather _not_ have anything fall onto.

"How are you feeling?" Eve asked as she swept the bangs off his forehead to feel his temperature. He quickly shut his drawing book and stored it beneath his blanket. "You look _scads_ better," she added as she noticed that all his bandages were gone, and only faint outlines of the wounds remained woven into his skin.

"I _feel_ 'scads better'." Remus replied with a grin as the satisfied witch pulled her hand away and picked up several books and supplies for him to use on his homework. "I'd be out of here by now, but Madam Pomfrey just wants to make sure that there are no other effects of the spell," he lied.

"Ah, I see. Alright, here's a list of the homework that I copied down for you. I'll be working on mine, now, too, so if you hit any rough patches, just let me know."

Remus nodded and couldn't help but recall his dream and almost long for the affectionate touch he had received in it. Shaking it off, he began his work; reading passages in the books, taking notes, answering the questions at the end of chapters, and outlining an essay due the next week. It went relatively smoothly, and he only had to ask Eve for clarification on a couple of things. Eve, although she was sheepish while going about it, actually had to ask _him_ a question about Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was glad to answer, but he couldn't help but notice that she looked a little flustered over the fact that he understood something she didn't while he was the one out for the day. He was just good at Defense Against the Dark Arts, that was all. It'd be the same thing if she were out one day and she knew the answer to a Divinations question of his; she was just good at that class.

The werewolf finished his work first, but, upon noticing that his friend was still working, he decided he'd get some more drawing done. Keeping his textbook open, he discreetly placed the open sketchpad inside it and continued on the last illustration he was working on when Eve had strolled in. He'd been drawing the same subject ever since Sirius had brought him his drawing pad, and was currently on his third sketch of said subject. Actually, it was quite the coincidence that he was working on this particular sketch, seeing as his subject, namely the witch currently occupying the chair beside his cot, was in almost the same position as her twin in the picture.

He loved drawing people when they were concentrating on something. They seemed so intense, not to mention the fact that they bore creased facial expressions that weren't worn everywhere, and so made for a good challenge for him.

Eve sighed and shut her book, stretching out backward over her chair with a small, "Mm." Relaxing back into her seat, she blinked at Remus and inquired, "Are you… _drawing_ something?" She couldn't help but notice that his quill was moving back and forth in the same spot, and not moving from left to right across the page.

Quickly shutting his sketchpad, Remus all-too-quickly replied, "No," but once Eve arched her brow in disbelief, he sighed and amended, "I mean… They're only scribbles, nothing big."

Eve grinned and drawled, "Riiiiight," as she pulled off her reading glasses and moved to collect the textbooks and supplies she'd the school items.

"I'll be seeing you tomorrow, then?" Eve inquired while giving him an awkward hug, lopsided because of the added weight of the textbooks she needed to carry back with her.

"Right," Remus replied, his arms giving her a squeeze while she was still in his embrace.

"See you tomorrow, then." Eve sashayed out of the cubicle.

Remus sighed and looked down at his mini black-and-white portrait of Eve. She had such dimensions to her features, he was surprised he could draw her as well as he did. Her curly hair had been a bit of a challenge where lighting was concerned. It was the same thing with her glasses, as he always had 

difficulty trying to find the exact place and size a shine should be on the glass, since he didn't want to cover the subject's eyes with it, though, regrettably, sometimes he had to.

Gazing at the two drawings of her he'd finished earlier, Remus couldn't help but feel warm at the subtle smile on her lips. His drawings, he felt, didn't seem to do the original justice, but it was good enough for now. A fleeting thought flitted through his mind, and he couldn't help but wonder if her lips were as warm and soft as they looked and as they had been in his dream…

Alright, alright, so _maybe_ Sirius was right; maybe Remus _did_ have a thing for Eve…

…but only a _tiny_ one.

**Author's Note:** And now I'd like to take the time to respond to everyone who's reviewed this fanfiction so far. I'd like to do this sort of thing every fifth chapter or so, depending on how many reviews I receive. I thank everyone for this, as it truly helps me improve my work and continue writing. Thank you all!

This list is in chronological order of readers' review dates.

_Kanika Meskhenet-_ Thanks for showing an interest in my fanfiction. I hope you've enjoyed my latest chapters. Please continue reading and reviewing!

_DarkHuntressMoMo-_ Thank you so much for supporting my fanfiction; it means a lot to me. I hope you're able to find the time to write a fanfiction in the near future. Thanks again; I felt that the Narcissa/Peter thing would be an original addition to my fanfiction, so I'm glad you like it. I hope you continue reading and reviewing!

_CacachuetePoco-_ Thanks for showing an interest in my fanfiction. I hope you've enjoyed my latest chapters. Please continue reading and reviewing!

_pOkEd AnD sUrViVeD- _Thanks! I'm glad my story 'amazes' you! Ah, but at least Anna's characterization has been furthered. Yup, James and Sirius are very good friends to Remus. I hope you continue reading and reviewing!

_Captain Saru-_ Thanks for showing an interest in my plot. I hope you like it when you see how everything falls into place. That particular conversation between Remus and Sirius would be too funny! Aw, I'm glad you feel sympathy for Eve; that means I'm doing my job at making one of my main characters (and an OC, at that) likeable and relatable to the readers. And, again, I seem to be doing my job by 'hooking' you on my plot. Thank you very much for your reviews. Please continue reading and reviewing!

_SailingAwaySoftly-_ I'm glad you feel that my fanfiction is, as you put it, 'really, very, truly, one of the best RemusOCs' you've read 'in a long time'. I appreciate it very much, as it lets me know for sure that Eve is a decent OC (and a good one to pair up with a Marauder, no less), and that my plot is up to par. Aha, well, I'm glad I decided upon an Astronomy project, then! It took me a while to figure out what class to have the project set in, but once I thought up Astronomy, I knew that was the one it had to be, hence one of the reasons behind the title of this fanfiction. **At this point in time,** I've plotted the tarot cards to play a decent role in the story, so I'm glad you took notice of those in your review. I'm glad you find Remus 'adorable' in my fanfiction. Yes, I can see what you mean with Eve's behavior. While I need to say that there are several reasons why I had her act the way she did (those reasons will come into play in future chapters), upon re-reading that chapter many times, I realized that I did have a bit of, as I stated in my first author's note in this chapter, wriggle room, and could've toned it down a bit, so I edited the fourth chapter for that purpose. Please continue reading and reviewing!

_Jes_- Thank you very much; I'm glad you 'love this fic'! Yes, poor Remus and his monthly transformations. I know you wrote that you wanted me to update soon, and I'm sorry I was too busy to write up a new chapter last Sunday, but I hope you enjoy this chapter. I hope you continue reading and reviewing!


	6. Making Amends: Part Two

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to all who've reviewed! Any suggestions I feel would better this fanfiction I shall try to implement. Thanks again for all the support, I really appreciate it! It helps me continue writing this fanfiction! **Please keep reading and reviewing!**

Also, I'd like to thank DarkHuntressMoMo for the inspiration for (and permission to use) the question game part of this fanfiction, as well as the rather shocking discovery that comes from it. Without her, it most likely wouldn't be here. Thanks, DarkHuntressMoMo!

**Publish Date:** February 3, 2008

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Six: Making Amends: Part Two

"I thought you told me he fancied her!" Anna screeched as loud as she dared at the surprised Marauder caught off guard by her heated rage. Sirius's dark eyebrows jumped up into his wavy bangs as he studied the panting, furious spectacle before him. Actually, she looked particularly fetching when she was all worked up like this; cheeks full and huffing with a deep tint of burgundy painted on, sapphire eyes slit and glittering from between their glaring lids, words escaping her mouth in elevated whispers so they wouldn't be scolded for being too noisy in the library, and her lips… her ripe lips were slightly parted to allow air to pass through them. Oh, those lips…

"What the _bloody hell_ do you think you're _doing?_" Anna hissed as she shoved the puckered-lipped and closing-in Marauder away from her. "I am _speaking_ to you, Sirius! Now, live up to your name and _act seriously!_"

The black-haired young wizard looked positively stunned at actually being pushed away from a snog. No one had ever done that to him before. Quirking his head to the side and relaxing his lips back to their natural state, he gazed out from behind his thick lashes, almost enticed by this new action; Sirius Black had just been denied a snog.

Planting her hands on her hips, Anna shifted her weight onto one foot and inquired of the dumbstruck Sirius, "Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Blinking several times to keep himself grounded to the present situation taking place and to restrain himself from drifting back into his own thoughts, he inquired in a dumb-struck daze, "Uh… I thought we were meeting in the library to '_study_' and _not_ to yell at the completely confused Sirius?"

Anna groaned and gave him another push away so she would have enough room to walk out from between the bookcases. At the end of the aisle, she abruptly twirled around until she was facing her project partner again, and matter-of-factly informed him, "Oh, and just so you know, I shall be withholding all snogging privileges from you until further notice." She tipped her nose up into the air and began striding away.

Sirius's eyes nearly fell out of his head; here he'd thought that he'd be getting himself a good snogging, when he'd actually been called down to get cut off from physical affection. He felt like a fly in Anna's spider web, thinking, _Ooh, how pretty that shiny space in the air is. I think I'll fly through it,_ only to be lured in and trapped by the sticky 

substance of the web she'd spun, and when he'd struggled too much against the invisible yet strong threads, Anna had swooped in and bound him with them, only to be released at her leisure. Life could be so cruel…

Sirius almost tripped over his own two feet trying to catch up with his blonde snog-buddy. "But-But-But-But-But _why?_" He whined, grasping hold of her about the waist and turning her around to face him.

With a frustrated sigh, Anna blinked once and said through her teeth, "Believe me, Black, when I say that you're a handsome bloke, but you're not handsome enough to get me into trouble with my best friend and then make me go all weak in the knees as soon as you grin at me so I'll forget all about her and frolic with you instead." She arched a firm eyebrow, as it appeared that that was the very thing he was attempting to do while she spoke. His proud grin melted slightly into a curve that didn't know if it wanted to be a frown that this was happening to him, a pout to give the pity bit another go, or a smile to show some (forced) sympathy to win her back sooner. Quite frankly, he wasn't sure which would work and which would damage his ego and reputation more.

With a dry, mirthless chuckle, Anna shook her head and pulled a lock of yellow hair behind her ear. "You _still_ don't get it, do you? I'd rather have my best friend back than a jolly ol' time with you, and if I have to keep out the snogging to keep in my secrets, then so be it. You're not snogging me for any more information." After a moment, she looked down at the ground and tilted her head toward the entrance of the library in a silent gesture for him to leave her alone for the time being.

Sirius opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it for once, and, with a bob of his head and a twitch of his lips upward into a semblance of a smile, he brushed past her, hands in his pockets. Grimacing as he re-thought his decision to remain silent, he stopped in his tracks. After heaving a sigh, he turned to face Anna and say, "Remus… needs a girl in his life more than you know. I'm just trying to be a good mate to him. 'Sides," he just had to add with a grin as he recalled the rather vocal dream he'd walked in on Remus having, "I can't help but believe that something is, or, at least, will be, developing between them." Tipping his head to her once, he swiveled back around and walked out, neglecting to wink at an obviously interested girl on her way into the library.

Anna sighed and massaged her temples. _I made the right choice,_ she told herself. However, she couldn't help but feel sorrowful at her loss; she'd just turned down Sirius Black from a snog. Now he'd probably find another girl to replace her with…

"Anna?"

Anna froze as she heard the all-too-familiar sound of her best friend's voice resonate from behind her. Swiveling her head toward the source of the utterance, she found the brunette emerging from the aisle directly behind the one she, herself, had occupied with Sirius a mere minute before.

Eve slowly approached Anna after shutting the book in her hands entitled _Constellations: Names, Shapes, and Mythology_.

"Do…" Eve swallowed to brace herself. "Do you really mean that?" Came the hopeful question. Her eyebrows raised up to frame her sincere eyes as she awaited her answer.

Anna, slowly turning until her entire body was facing Eve, sighed and nodded. "Of course I do. You're my best friend, Eve; nothing is more important than that, especially when it makes us argue."

Beaming bright enough to outshine the sun, Eve threw her arms around her friend and murmured into her ear, "This is why we're best friends. I love you, Anna."

"I love you, too, and I'm so sorry I told Sirius something you told me without asking you about it first. It won't happen again, I promise."

"I know," Eve said as she pulled back enough to look Anna in the eye. "I believe you."

They stood in silence for a minute, smiling shyly at one another and soaking up their freshly renewed friendship. The Gryffindor's pounding heart slowed to a dull thudding as it took a breather from stressing over Anna. It felt marvelous to have her back as a friend and, after hearing what she'd told Sirius, Eve was positive she'd stick to her vow.

Chuckling, the two hugged again and, when they parted, they kept their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, beaming at each other as they walked slowly through the library together.

Eve stopped walking when she heard some masculine grunting and moaning coming from a nearby aisle.

"Ugh," she disgustedly drawled. "Why can't people at least be quiet when they're snogging in the library?"

Anna blushed in response. She certainly had been anything but quiet when she and Sirius engaged in their little snog-fest.

Craning her neck to listen more closely (receiving a disturbed look from Anna), Eve squinted her eyes and asked, "Is that… _Peter?_"

"Peter who?" Anna inquired as the noise died down abruptly.

Fearing they may have been caught speculating on who was snogging in the middle of the library, Eve moved her friend forward and said, "Peter Pettigrew; you know, from the Marauders."

"Oh, that heavier, sandy-haired boy. Ew, who'd want to snog with _him?_"

Eve shrugged in response and let the discussion drop.

"_So_," Anna began playfully yet cautiously after couple moments of silence, "how's everything going with Remus? Sirius just said he has a feeling about you two-"

"Yes, yes, I heard him," Eve said looking at the floor. "The thing is, I don't know why he's trying to get us together. It just doesn't make any sense; I mean, I hardly know him. Why would he want me to court one of his best mates if he doesn't know me well enough to be sure I'm compatible with Remus?"

Anna shrugged and shook her head in silence; that was all she could offer as an answer. After all, it wasn't as if she knew why Sirius was so adamant about the arrangement.

Moving her head from side to side, Eve said, "'Sides, we're just project partners, it's not like we're bound by holy matrimony."

Her friend snickered by her side as they approached the checkout desk. Eve slid her book over to librarian and, as she went through the checkout procedures, Anna turned to her friend and inquired, "Would you like to hang out tonight?" After putting their friendship on a three-day hiatus, she was more than ready to jump back into it.

Eve winced and batted her eyelashes apologetically. "Sorry, I-"

"No, no, that's okay!" Anna quickly assured her friend as she tugged nervously at a wisp of her hair. "I-I understand if you don't want to so soon-"

"No, you misunderstand me, Anna," Eve replied. "I'm meeting with Remus to work on our project." The librarian smiled to Eve and handed her her book back, and the young witch took it and flashed Anna the cover of it so she could read the title. "We're meeting up outside once it gets dark to look at the stars to give us ideas for the constellations we'd like to have for our planet. He wanted to do it yesterday, but I insisted on him taking the day off to rest up, seeing as he'd been in the Hospital Wing the day before, so we decided upon today."

Anna felt relief flood her veins, coursing beside her blood. It would've been incredibly awkward if the two of them were friends once again, and yet still had bitterness between them. Sashaying beside Eve mischievously as they exited the large library together, she bumped her hip into hers while jesting, "Sirius'll be happy to hear that-," Eve shot her friend a look before Anna amended, "- if _Remus_ tells him, that is; I mean, it'll be you and Remus out in the dark, keeping warm together as you stare up at the stars."

Eve lightly smacked Anna in the arm with her borrowed book before exclaiming, "Anna, you _imp!_" and scurrying off down the hallway, giggling at the idea of such things coming to fruit.

.x:X:x.

"… So then she bent down to pick up the quill I dropped- and, blimey, what a view I got from her when she did; she has herself a fetching bum- and she handed it to me. After that, she _still_ held my hand while she leaned in and whispered right into my ear- her breath was so warm, _I_ almost lost my breath- 'You might want to be more careful, Potter; you may drop something fragile someday.'" James sighed happily as he snapped his hand out to trap the golden snitch within his clutch again. He caged the fluttering sphere between his palms and held it to his heart as he sighed contentedly once more and gazed up at the ceiling from where he lay on this bed. "Oi, Moony, if I wasn't in love with Lily before, I sure am, now!"

"Mm-hm," Remus replied off-handedly from his four-poster. He was reclined against his plump, scarlet-and-gold pillows (inspired by Gryffindor, of course) with his knees bent up toward the ceiling to allow his sketchbook to remain open on his lap. Remus had heard his friend gush about the vivacious, ginger-haired young witch many, many times before, and was certain as the fact that he would transform into a wolf at the sight of the full moon that this wasn't the last time he'd go on about her. Currently, the werewolf's mind was focused on his quill, stroking black ink onto the page to mark out Eve's features. This portrait captured a moment of her giggling. Eve's cheeks had a subtle pink brushed onto them when she laughed, and the smile that adorned her face was so bright that it made her eyes grin, as well. But what Remus found truly unique to the way this girl chuckled was not her cheeks or eyes or smile; it was her nose. Whenever she giggled, her nose would scrunch up slightly, and Remus was certain it was just an automatic response, not one that she was forcing, which made it all the cuter in his mind. Ah, yes, Eve was proving to be a lovely subject for Remus to center his drawings around.

"Moons," James began while moving to put away his snitch and sit up on the edge of his mattress, "are you listening to me?"

Another idle, "Mm-hm."

"Whatchya drawin' there, Moony?" James inquired, moving to sit on Remus's bed.

"Oh, uh, nothing," Remus muttered, flipping the page so it was blank to his friend.

"No, really, what is it?" James questioned further, reaching out for the book. "What, are you drawing naughty pictures, or something? Merlin, don't hold out if you are-"

"They're not 'naughty,' Prongs, they're just personal. Can't you respect that?" Remus extended his long arm so that it was out of the shorter boy's reach.

Furrowing his eyebrows, James grinned before tackling his friend back onto the mattress, attempting to pin him down and grab hold of the drawing book. "C'mon, Moony, give it here! What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing, I swear!" Remus grunted, struggling against his friend's hands. "Can't I just have a little privacy?"

"Not in our group, mate," James stated as his legs bent into Remus's to stop his flailing, and he captured one of his wrists and made an attempt to get to the other. "The Marauders share everything with one another!"

"Not this, we don't!" Remus barked back, rearing up in an attempt to throw his opponent off his back. Damn, years of playing Quidditch really paid off where strength was concerned. If it were the night before the full moon, however, both boys knew that James wouldn't have stood a chance against the werewolf.

It was then that Peter chose to walk into the boys' dormitory. He returned the way he usually did whenever he met up with Narcissa to 'work on their project'; disheveled, red in the face, and with a certain bounce in his step that disgusted Sirius to no end. Really, the only work Narcissa did on their Astronomy project was continuing to motivate Peter to do the entire blasted thing. Of course, the methods Narcissa chose to keep Peter inspired enough to work on their project didn't bother him in the least; after all, she was a good kisser!

The pudgy Marauder was torn from his revisiting of the most recent of their encounters- and, really, how embarrassing that those girls had practically caught him, whoever they were (and he wasn't 'heavy'… he was just big-boned!)- when the sight of his friends in such a, erm, compromising position on the four-poster snapped him back to the present.

"Are you two, er… _together?_" He inquired, backing away slightly.

James pointed at the drawing book that was outstretched toward Peter and exclaimed with a clever smirk, "Moony's drawing naughty pictures!"

"I AM NOT!" Remus exclaimed. He brought his hand back and gave James a firm hit with the book. Unfortunately, this was what the Quidditch player had been counting on, and he grabbed the sketchpad from his friend and hopped off, scurrying over to his bed. "Oh, _brilliant!_" The werewolf grunted.

"Ha, got it!" James exclaimed as he tore through the book, trying to find where the most recent picture was.

"Give it here!" Remus pleaded, tailing his friend and trying to tackle him for it, but James was too swift, and he restrained the werewolf to the bed, straddling his chest and digging his knees into his biceps.

"Ah, _now_ I can see this thing without all the ruckus." James ran his hand through his hair and took his sweet time flipping through the drawing book.

This was torture on Remus. He was going to have his little infatuation exposed in one of the worst possible ways; against his own will.

"James, please don't!" He implored, struggling against his friend's legs.

"No, no, Moony," James replied while adjusting where his glasses sat on his nose, "I insist." Pressing the open book to his heart, he fake-gushed, complete with a mock dainty hand wave, "You drew me _divinely,_ Remus."

Remus scowled at his friend just as a distracted Sirius strode in. Oh, _great_.

"I can't believe she didn't-" He was muttering to himself right as he walked past the two boys. Blinking, he screeched to a halt before walking backward to view the two of them again.

"Are you two, er… _together?_" Sirius asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Sighing, he shook his head, "Ay, what a loss to the female world, but, I knew it would happen to at least one of the Marauders someday. 'Course, I always thought it'd be Wormtail, but-"

"Hey!" Peter disagreed from his place against the wall opposite the boys.

"In all honesty, though," Sirius continued, putting on a more sincere tone of voice that made Remus believe that his friend was done teasing them, "just keep it down up here; I still need my beauty sleep at night." He ran his hands through his hair at that. "Are we understood?"

"Completely," James said without removing his eyes from Remus's drawings. "Moony, I believe Pads is a little jealous of us," he laughed.

Sirius's face became lined as it drew inward as though he'd tasted a lemon. "Ugh..."

"Ooh!" James laughed as he found what he was looking for. "So _this_ is what you've been drawing. Moony, Moony, Moony!"

Sirius arched his brows and hopped onto the edge of the mattress, "What is it?"

"I wanna see! I wanna see!" Peter squealed, making a mad scramble to get onto the mattress. He slipped off the first time, causing Sirius to laugh.

"I don't think we're all going to fit on the mattress, Prongs." Sirius chuckled.

"Sure, we will. C'mon up, Wormtail; try again. Believe me, you don't wanna miss this!" Prongs encouraged.

"Guys, _stop!_" Remus shouted.

"Not until they get an eyeful of this," James said as he held the book for his friends to see, flipping the pages so they could see that Eve had been drawn multiple times.

Grabbing hold of the book so he could see it better, Sirius lightly jested, "I can't help but feel seconded to this girl; you've drawn her in far more detail than you've drawn the rest of us in."

Peter sneaked a peek over Sirius's shoulder and snickered in agreement.

"Finally you have some feelings for the bird. It's about time, mate," Sirius said, easing James off of Remus's chest and handing him his sketchpad back.

Remus swiped the book back from Sirius and shut it, folding his arms protectively over it as he hugged it to his chest. "Pads, Prongs, Wormy, _please_ stop. I'd rather not talk about this, if you don't mind. It's bad enough that you felt the need to pry into my private drawing book."

"'Private'? Since when is your sketchbook 'private'?" Sirius inquired with slit eyes.

"Since I started drawing Eve in it, alright?" He snapped back.

"Oh, come, now, don't be like that. We were just teasin' you a little, is all. Don't go all sour on us, Moony. I'm happy you've finally found a girl you like," Sirius said, patting him on the shoulder.

Shrugging his friend's hand off, Remus inquired, "And just _why_ are you so insistent on me finding someone, huh? It's none of your bloody business-"

"-Because you've turned down the chance to be with any other girl in the entire bloody school!" Sirius exclaimed, standing up so he could glare down at Remus. "You're doing this to yourself; suffocating yourself from ever having a relationship with a girl, and guess what? It's showing. You're always uptight about the full moon when it's not even close to the night when it rises, you're always worried about someone finding out about your secret when you know that's never gonna happen, and you're always too self-conscious and shy for your own damned good. If you had a girlfriend, maybe you'd bloody loosen up and be more like _yourself_ for once, instead of being some lunatic who's obsessed with his other half since you'd have someone _else_ to focus on."

Remus could feel the tension in the air; it hung as thick as death as Sirius's gaze challenged his. No one moved or made a sound, mostly because they all knew what Sirius had said was true. Remus wouldn't have known how long it had been had it not been for the clock in their room ticking the moments away. After it had ticked its one hundred and forty-fifth tock, the Astronomy Tower clock rung, sounding out eight o'clock.

Swallowing, Remus slid cautiously off the bed and stored his sketchbook away under his mattress. Moving to the great wooden chest that sat at the foot of his bed, he pulled out some of his normal clothes and muttered to his friends, "I have to go. I'm, uh… meeting Eve to work on our project. We'll be outside."

Just as Remus turned to head into the bathroom to change into his other clothes, Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you, mate. I just want you to be happy for once." Remus opened his mouth to disagree but Sirius smiled knowingly and said, "I mean _really_ happy, not just acting-happy-around-us-for-our-sake happy. If you fancy her, go for her. What's the worst that could happen?"

Remus tilted his head to one side and raised his eyebrows before offering, "The better question is, what _isn't_ the worst that could happen?"

Rolling his eyes, Sirius reminded him, "As long as she's inside the castle the nights the full moon rises, she'll be safe. We'll make sure she's safe, won't we, mates?"

Peter and James nodded in agreement, wanting to help their friend out.

Remus sighed in defeat, running the fabric of the sweater in his hands through his fingers. "Well… if you say so…" Rubbing his temples, he backpedaled, "I just… I don't know anymore, you guys." With that, he turned to use the bathroom before leaving to meet with his project partner.

.x:X:x.

Eve stood by the entrance of the school with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate in her hands and her white cat by her feet. She'd gone down to the kitchens to see if they had anything that would quench her thirst for a little while and, when a house elf handed her a hot chocolate, she knew that Remus would want some, too, and so inquired for another. Those elves were so adorable, she felt bad that they had to work so hard…

"Ah, there you are," Remus called with a smile as he hurried toward her. "I was wondering on my way down here if you'd be by the door or if I'd have to attempt to find you outside."

Eve chuckled, and the werewolf saw that crinkle in her nose that made his heart heat up as it pounded in his chest. The moment was broken by the cat hunching up its back and hissing at Remus, sensing the canine within him. Remus hurriedly took a step back; he'd had some bad experiences with felines before, and he more than knew the reason why.

"Arcana!" She scolded sharply. "We do _not_ hiss at people." Kneeling down so she was eyelevel with her cat, she said, "This is a _treat_ for you to stretch your legs outside, not a guarantee that we'll be back here every night to do so; I'll have no problem putting you in your cage, instead."

If Arcana knew one word out of that sentence, it was 'cage', and, boy, did she hate that thing; it was so small, she could barely turn around in it. Of course, it was only used for travel, but it was also for punishment if the silver-eyed feline couldn't behave herself. She released an angry growl and turned so her back was primly to Remus.

"Sorry about that. She doesn't usually do that to people; dunno why she chose to do it to you…"

Shaking his head, Remus replied, "Not at all. Cats have never seemed to like me much."

Nodding toward the darkness of the outside world, Eve inquired, "Shall we?"

"We shall." With his foot, Remus propped the door open and beckoned for her to go first. She curtsied playfully before leading him outside and allowing her cat to roam free for the next hour.

Drawing in a deep breath of fresh air, Eve stated, "Oh, it's a gorgeous night out." Her eyes scanned upward, soaking in the clear night sky with the millions of diamond-like-stars winking down at them. "Though it _is_ a little chilly. Perhaps I should've worn a jacket instead of this sweater… Oh, well." She shrugged and turned to look at Remus. "_You_ were the smart one, bringing blankets out here."

"Well, of course, they're not both for me; you're more than welcome to one if you're cold." Remus offered as she stopped at a flat chunk of land.

"Don't mind if I do," she replied gratefully as goose bumps began to rise on her arms from the crisp, chilled air. Looking around and dragging her feet along the area they were to spread a blanket over to make sure they wouldn't sit on any twigs or rocks, Eve inquired, "How's this spot?"

Remus took this time to survey Eve by the light of the waning moon while making it look like he was inspecting the spot of earth. Really, it was amazing what the school robes hid; she actually had curves in her own clothes. She was wearing a maroon zip-up sweater and a pair of dark jeans that were both tailored closer to her body than the school uniform without becoming a second skin. The scarlet from the sweater livened up the color of her face a bit, whereas her black-and-white uniform did nothing to add to her looks. Her hair was down like it had been the night they'd had their quarrel in the library, and the young wizard couldn't help but note that she'd kept it like that since. Not that he was complaining; he actually thought it softened her features more than it did previously, when it had been tied back.

"This spot looks… great," Remus said, finally lowering his eyes to the ground. Dropping his blankets off to one side, he chose one and opened it up before gently laying it on the ground. While he was smoothing it over, Eve took the time to study _him_.

Remus had donned a long ebony cloak. Alright, stop right there. If Eve didn't think he was good-looking before, he'd certainly caught her attention now! This was for two reasons: one, she thought males generally looked good in black; of course, she didn't want that to be the only color she ever saw 

on them, but… she didn't know what it was that she liked about it, but she supposed it was because the color made them look classy. Two, she _loved_ cloaks on the opposite gender. Again, this played on the whole 'looking classy' idea.

"Are you going to sit down, or are you going to just stand there?" Remus inquired, stirring the witch from her thoughts as he patted the portion of blanket beside him. "I won't bite." Since he got a grin out of her from that, he took it a little further and said, "I promise."

Her giggling caused Remus to smile, and she gracefully sat down next to her partner and handed him a cup of hot chocolate. "Here, take one."

"Ah, I thought you'd never offer," Remus jested as he took the smoking cup from her hand and rewarded her with his second blanket.

"Thank you," Eve replied appreciatively as she cocooned herself completely in the thick comforter. When she saw him raise the cup to his lips, she cautioned, "Be careful-"

"OW! Bugger!"

"-it's still hot," she chortled as she reached up to pat his head while he pressed his burnt lip into his palm. "Poor thing. You really should've blown on it before drinking some."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

The two sat in comfortable, friendly silence as they blew on their drinks and carefully sipped them down. It really was a wonderful night to do this on. There was a light breeze that flirted with the trees, coaxing them into swaying and shivering lightly. An owl every so often would fly past them and hoot to its friends in the owlry. The stars beamed brightly down at their audience, shining their very best for them.

"Ooh, I almost forgot." She pulled out the book she'd checked out at the library from under her arm. "I got this today and was reading some of it. It said that a star that can be seen from Earth is actually two stars close together in the sky, or else we wouldn't be able to see them. I don't know if that'll help us on our project, or what, but… Ah, I thought it was interesting." She handed the book to Remus so he could flip through it.

Pulling out his wand, he muttered, "Lumos," and skimmed the parts he thought would contain the best information.

A shuffling sound from beside him drew his attention back to Eve as she had produced her tarot cards from her pocket and was currently jumbling their order in her hands. When she was finished, she spread them out face up on the blanket so they were in full view of the stars.

"You know… well, this might sound rather silly to you," she began with a sheepish grin as she looked back up at the sky. "There is plenty of folklore and mythology about the stars and moon." Remus shifted around to get a better view of the girl.

"Mm? Is that so?"

"Yes. One of them is that they can empower anything used for divination, such as, for example, my tarot cards. They'll help bring more energy and accuracy to the readings, especially if they're exposed to the night sky on a regular basis. Another is the belief in Astrology." She turned to look across her shoulder at Remus. "Isn't it amazing how some people believe that their destinies are written in the stars?" She turned to arch her neck and bring her gaze up to the night sky. "Some people believe that 

one can read the stars to predict what will happen in just about everyone's life; one only needs to know how to translate the stars' alignments with other celestial objects."

Remus thought she sounded so sincere when she spoke about these beliefs that he felt compelled to say, "It's not silly." A sip of his hot chocolate later, he inquired, "Do _you_ believe in that?"

Eve thought for a moment with her squinted gray eyes directed at the stars, as if asking them what they thought she should say. "Yes," she decided. "Yes, I do. I like the thought of only having to look up to see what's in store for me, though I'm certain that's not all there is to it. I've heard of Astrologists having to go through charts to do a proper reading. I don't know everything there is to know about Astrology, but, from what I gather, it's a lovely way to interpret life."

Remus grinned and lightly flirted, "Well, when you speak about it like _that_, _anything_ would sound lovely."

Eve fluttered her eyelashes, trying to determine if she'd really heard that as she dropped her gaze onto him. Remus gulped and felt a small panic attack seize hold of his heart before her face broke out into a smile and she chuckled. "You're too kind," she replied as she trailed her finger around the outer rim of her cup of hot chocolate.

Remus polished off the rest of his refreshment in one giant gulp before setting the mug off to one side of the blanket, out of their way, and took to studying Eve as she surveyed the stars, who was murmuring every once in a while about an animal that they could assemble their constellations after for the project. The light of the moon really did illuminate her pretty features, and it was then, with a jolt, that Remus realized that he didn't really _know_ very much about her besides the attributes of her face. That, of course, had to be remedied immediately; he couldn't very well have feelings for someone he didn't know the first thing about.

"Eve, let's play a game." He offered abruptly.

Eve blinked and turned to look at him. "I thought you wanted to stargaze?"

"I do, but… This game can be played _while_ we look at the stars."

After swallowing the last mouthful of hot chocolate, she handed her cup to him to put by his and, shifting in her seat, informed him, "I'm listening."

"Alright, well, I've been thinking; we really don't know each other very well, and, so, maybe to get better acquainted, we could play a question game."

"Okay… but, nothing _too_ personal; I don't want any of my deep, dark secrets exposed. Agreed?" Eve asked playfully yet firmly. She really didn't feel like dumping her personal dramas and issues in life onto his shoulders. After all, as he put it, they didn't 'know each other very well', and the stories she had about her father weren't for someone she'd only met a short time ago. Merlin, she scarcely told _Anna_ about her father, and she was her best mate!

"Agreed," Remus concurred. "How 'bout you go first?"

"Hmm… Alright… What's your favorite color?"

"Dark blue." He replied without a second thought. "How 'bout you?"

"Dark _red_," Eve said as she tugged a curl from her head, making Remus wish he could do so, as well. Her hair looked so soft; every time she fiddled with it, it made him want to, too. "Do you have any siblings?"

"Nope, only child," Remus replied softly, looking down at his hands. He couldn't help but wonder if his parents would've given him siblings if he were never bitten and turned into a werewolf. Maybe they figured that children were more trouble than they were worth and decided not to have any more after him. Maybe…

"Aw, and here I was expecting a twin brother named Romulus," Eve replied with a grin as she slowly reclined backward until she was laying down on the blanket, still curled up in her comforter. Remus, in spite of her comment still half-lost in his thoughts, directed a blank look at her, which made Eve feel suddenly self-conscious and particularly nerdy. "Um… See, 'cause Remus and Romulus were said to be the founders of Rome, you know?" Swallowing, she stuttered, "Well, um… you-you _would_ know…" she dropped her voice to a whisper, "if you were a complete dork like me."

Finally snapping back to reality, he found a scarlet Eve practically being devoured by her comforter and looking as if she was trying to speed up the process to get out of sight. It registered on him what she had been saying, and he finally spoke up, "Sorry, sorry, I was a bit lost in my mind for a moment… You're anything but a dork, I can assure you. Believe me, I've heard that myth a million times from my parents because of my name. Anyway, back to our game." He lay down next to her and turned on his side to face her. "Same question."

"Yes, I have one sibling. Her name is Dawn and she's ten years old. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and I love her to pieces." She explained with a sincere smile.

Remus smiled and murmured, "I'll wager she's beautiful." _If she's anything like you._

"She is." Eve proudly replied. "Remind me to show you a picture of her sometime." She then inquired with a tilt of her head, "Hmm… How _did_ your parents ever come up with your name? I mean, do they like mythology, or something? It's just that your name is so unusual. No offense, it's a nice name, but rare to come by, nonetheless."

"Ah, well, my mum told me that she had been reading a book one day when she was pregnant with me, and right when she was reading about the myth of Remus, I kicked for the very first time. So, she decided to give me that name." He grinned.

"Aw, that's sweet!" Eve said, scrunching up her nose.

"Again, same question," Remus chuckled after a moment.

"My parents like natural-sounding names. You know what I mean? Like 'Dawn' for the sun rising and 'Eve', short for 'evening', for the sun setting. They think it has more meaning to the names, and they liked that they were opposite names for sisters, especially since we practically seem to personify them, what with my dark hair and my sister's light hair. Though, that last part was coincidence." Kicking her feet up into the air for a moment, she tried her best to come up with another inquiry, but found her slightly-tired brain temporarily dry from them. "Mmm… I'm fresh out of questions for right now." Chuckling, she said, "My brain isn't working very well."

Remus nibbled on the inside of his lip as he racked his brain for a good question to ask. "Ooh, I've got one." He smirked and turned toward her to show that this question was definitely great. "If this is too personal for you, you don't have to tell me. Who was your first kiss?" Alright, so, this was more or less just so he'd know if she'd ever been kissed before, and, if she had been, who he had to live up to, if and when he ever did plant one on her.

Hmm… Eve had to think back quite a ways, but when she found the memory she was looking for, she giggled and curled in closer to him, as if she was telling him some big secret. "Alright, well, this was when I was in pre-school. There was this boy there, and… Merlin, I can't remember his name, but I remember calling him 'Mussy', and I remember that he carried around a stuffed animal wolf named 'Woofie.'"

Remus's eyes widened and he pulled back to inquire, "E… _Evie?_"

Snapping her head up at the old pet name she had once grown accustomed to, she gasped and asked with wide eyes, "_You're_ 'Mussy'?" With a laugh, she threw her arms around him and squealed, "Oh, dear, Merlin! I can't believe it!" She hugged him tightly for a minute before releasing him. "I actually remember giving you that name because your hair was disheveled when we were young. That, and it was the last syllable of your name… 'mus,' that is."

Remus still looked stunned, and Eve giggled at him and continued, "Oh! You were so adorable back then! All young and… and… with the high, squeaky voice, oh, and Woofie! You really were too adorable with that thing, Remus!"

It was then that the Astronomy Tower clock chose to ring once again, signaling that it was nine o'clock- curfew for being indoors.

"Bloody clock. We actually got to a good question, too." Eve muttered as she reluctantly rose to her feet, extending a hand to help Remus up. After gathering their belongings, the witch linked arms with her long lost friend and walked with him back into the castle.

"We'll _definitely_ have to talk more when we return to the common room."

**Author's Note:** I know that the school rule for Hogwarts is that students must always wear their uniforms, but I, personally, saw no harm in allowing them to wear their normal clothes for a simple walk outside. At any rate, this fanfiction _is_ slightly AU, as I've previously stated multiple times.


	7. Fireside Reminiscing

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** My apologies for not updating last Sunday. I had another busy week that prevented me from writing up another chapter. **I will write in my profile if I can't update, as I did last week, so check there.**

Again, I'd like to thank DarkHuntressMoMo for the inspiration for this chapter, and Captain Saru for drawing up a look for Woofie!

Over one thousand hits to this fanfiction! That's amazing! I'd like to thank my readers from the bottom of my heart for following the romantic journey Remus and Eve are preparing to embark upon. I have many ideas for the future, and I hope you like them. **I'd also like to take the time to encourage any readers who haven't reviewed yet to please begin doing so.** I'd greatly appreciate it! To my regular reviewers, **please keep reviewing!** It really helps me continue to write!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, February 17, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Seven: Fireside Reminiscing

Arcana's plump, purring body expanded and contracted lazily on the rug before the warm, welcoming fire. Her silver eyes squeezed tightly shut against the golden glow of the flickering blaze, and her tail flicked up like a snake tasting the air as she snoozed.

Beyond the rug Arcana was lying on sat two old friends, chuckling as they rediscovered ancient memories buried deeply beneath years of newer memories and fresher information. Eve and Remus were shaking with their laughter as they sat together in the center of the overstuffed crimson couch recalling tender times.

"Oh, and remember that time we were playing with cards and I didn't put them all back in a perfectly-straight pile? You got so upset with me… and you actually spent a few minutes trying to make the pile absolutely flawless!" Eve giggled and pulled a crimson-and-gold afghan from the back of the couch to fold around her shoulders, curling up beneath it as her eyes sparkled with mirth.

Shuffling a hand through his soft hair, Remus chuckled and replied, "Ah, yes, I remember. I was rather meticulous over the smallest details in my youth."

"I see it's a trait you haven't lost in your _old_ age," Eve teased in reply as she pulled a stubborn curl away from her face.

Chortling, the young wizard bobbed his head in guilty agreement.

Eve's joyful gray eyes shifted to her lap where one of her hands was fiddling with the fringe at one corner of the blanket before she nibbled on her lower lip and caught his warm gaze with her once more. "You were the cutest thing when we were little, Remus."

Even though the compliment was done in innocent sincerity of his past, the boy felt his cheeks heat up at the knowledge that he had been "cute".

Crinkling up her nose- which Remus took note of with a somersault of his heart- as she grinned, Eve couldn't help but point out, "And such a bold child you were, as well! For shame, Remus, planting a kiss like that on me without having begun to officially court me first."

She had only been teasing him, he knew, but he couldn't help but allow his mind to wander back to that day in preschool when they'd both experienced their first kiss.

"_Ah! Mussy!" Eve squealed as the pair raced to pile block on top of block to see who could build the 'biggest and bestest' tower first._

"_Gonna beat you, Evie!" Remus replied hurriedly as he rushed to gather up the last of the blocks and set them atop the mountain he was building._

"_Nuh-uh!" The little girl exclaimed. As she reached for another block, she found that they'd all taken shelter in one of Remus's arms, and she put her hands on her hips and shrieked, "Hey! You're cheating!"_

"_Am not!"_

"_Am too!"_

"_How?"_

_Eve pointed at his armful of wooden blocks and replied, "You're not s'posed to hog the all blocks, Mussy!"_

_With a roll of his eyes, Remus extended a couple of blocks to the complaining girl and said, "Here, take these, then."_

_Swiping the blocks out of her friend's grasp in frustration, Eve sharply replied, "Thank you," before tending to her tower._

_At long last, Remus stepped back in triumph and breathed deeply as he gazed upon his work. He'd made the tower wide at the bottom and then narrowed it as it reached the top. It was swaying slightly where it stood, but he was confident that it would stay put long enough to be judged._

_Eve rubbed her hands together when she finished with her skyscraper of blocks. Her product was similar to Remus's in design, though it was a bit thicker all the way through, and so held its ground better than Remus's._

_The little boy frowned as he looked between the two creations. "Oh, dear," he fretted as he came to realize that their constructions were exactly the same in height. "Hmm…" He hummed as he scratched his chin and pondered._

"_Uh-oh," Eve murmured as she caught on to their dilemma. "What're we gonna do, now?"_

_With a snap of his fingers, Remus plucked up his favorite stuffed animal- a gray-and-white wolf- and held him up so his ebony plastic eyes could take in the sight they'd built. "We need a pro to call this one. Woofie," he began after giving the gray wolf time to think, "whose tower is taller?"_

_Eve wrung her hands out nervously as Remus tilted Woofie's head this way and that to take in the height of each structure. Finally, Remus lowered his ear to Woofie's snout and, nodding as if the wolf were really speaking to him, said, "Woofie says we both win. They're both the same amount of tall, so it's a tie!"_

_Eve jumped up and down excitedly, her tight chocolate brown curls bouncing with her as she reached out to shake the wolf's front paw. "Good choice, Mr. Judge!"_

_Remus dropped his ear to the wolf's muzzle once more before grinning and telling her, "He says he tries."_

_Eve giggled and took Woofie up into her arms after Remus untied his sky-blue blanket from around the stuffed animal's neck, where it looked like a superhero cape. While the little girl petted and snuggled the gray-and-white wolf, Remus took comfort in his usual routine of running his fingers over the midnight-cerulean words embroidered into the middle of his blanket: Remus John Lupin._

_Eve giggled and pressed her nose to Woofie's cold, plastic one before cradling him as if he were a baby. "I love you, Woofie. You're the bestest lil' wolf ever!"_

_Remus, wringing out his blanket, took the time to study Eve. In his young brown eyes, she was perfect. She had beautiful hair and eyes that were an odd color (she hadn't seemed too pleased when he had mentioned the latter to her after he first met her), smart enough to build a block tower that rivaled his own on a consistent basis, and had the best taste out of anyone he'd ever met. Really, the girl would turn down anything during snack time in exchange for something chocolatey. She was perfect for him._

"_Woofie loves you, too, Evie," Remus replied softly as he slowly stepped forward. "And… so do… I…" He blushed and gazed up at her with large, hopeful eyes._

"_Re… Remus?" Eve questioned as she patted the back of Woofie's fluffy head._

_Taking one of her small hands into one of his own, Remus tried to smooth back his unruly mop of hair and added, "I love you, Evie. You're the perfectest girl in the whole wide world."_

_Eve's eyes were wide enough to be mistaken for those of an animal's in a pair of headlights. She hadn't the slightest inkling of what she should do or say in response. Finally, it seemed to register in her head just how sweet all he was saying was, and she squealed. "Really? You-You really think I'm the perfectest, Mussy?"_

_Remus beamed and nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yes, yes! You really are the perfectest, Evie! When we grow up, you should marry me. You'll be the most perfectest grown-up ever!"_

_The little girl's face enlightened with pink at his compliments, and she batted her eyelashes at him. "Aw, Mussy! I'd love to marry you!" She threw her arms around his neck and bounced up and down. "I'm getting married! I'm getting married!"_

_Remus hugged the girl tightly in return, glowing with pride that he'd secured a future wife. Once his perfect wife-to-be pulled out of their hug and tried to push Woofie back into his arms, he shook his head and said, "No, keep Woofie. He's my married present to you."_

_Blinking at him, Eve looked down at the wolf pup in her arms and gazed back up at Remus to inquire, "Really?"_

"_Yes." He smiled as she beamed radiantly at him._

"_I promise to take good care of him everyday, Mussy! I'll brush him and feed him and take him out on walks… but I'll have to sneak him into my house; Mummy won't even let me have a dog puppy, so I don't think she'll let me keep a wolf puppy." Suddenly, her features fell, and she tilted her head to one side, the light suddenly gone from her face. "But… But I don't have a married present for you."_

_Remus took Eve's hand and walked with her between their block towers. "Well… There is something you can give me."_

"_What is it?"_

"_Well…" He looked out the window at the smiling sun embracing the sky and grinned, turning to look at Eve. "Well… there's this thing my Mummy and Daddy do, and _they're_ married. Maybe you could give one to me?"_

"_What do your Mummy and Daddy do?" Eve inquired, ready to do whatever was required of her to guarantee their future together as a married couple._

_Remus drew in a deep breath and sucked in his cheeks, trying to think about how to word it. "Well, see, my Mummy and Daddy sometimes… well, when my Daddy comes home from work, he and Mummy…" He furrowed his brows, at a loss at how to explain. "Well, maybe I could give you one and then you give me one back as a married present?"_

_Eve nodded her approval._

"_Close your eyes."_

_Her lids slowly fluttered shut over her stormy gray eyes and Remus, with only a moment's hesitation, leaned forward and lightly pressed his mouth to hers. It was as light as the caress of a butterfly's wing and scarcely lasted a second, but it was there, innocent and sweet._

_He pulled away as quickly as he approached, and Eve opened her eyes, smiled, and, as she leaned in to return the gesture, murmured, "I love you, Remus."_

"Ah, yes, but if my memory serves me correctly, you returned the favor," Remus pointed out. He chuckled as Eve swatted at him with a plump pillow and then settled back down under her afghan.

"I, um…" She cleared her throat and blushed a little as she said, "I still have it… _him_, you know." She lifted her eyes to meet those of the wizard sitting next to her and said, "Woofie."

Remus narrowed his eyes curiously and tilted his head to one side. "You… You kept him after all this time? Really?"

She offered a sheepish grin and nervously squeezed a corner of the blanket draped over her in her hand and replied, "Yes. I think he's the cutest thing, and… you know… sometimes, when I get overly stressed out or upset about something… I hold him while I sleep."

Remus smiled softly down at Eve, finding it utterly adorable of her to confess to such a thing. He carefully reached up and brushed a loose curl from her pretty face before stroking a cheek glowing in the firelight. "I'll wager he still loves you."

Eve chuckled and brought her hand up to hold his to her face as she playfully replied, "He tells me so when I hold him."

The pair sat completely still for a minute in time as the fire cracked and snapped and Arcana purred happily on the rug a safe distance away from the werewolf. Remus allowed his eyes to roam along the contours of the witch's feminine features, brought to a golden glow in the flickering blaze. The sharp contrast between the light and dark drawn in by the peaks and hollows of her face was stunning to him, and he felt the strong yearning to pick up a quill and draw her right then and there as she was. Eve, too, couldn't help but notice how sharp his features looked when accentuated by the fluttering light, and she took, for the first time, it seemed, proper notice of the faint, jagged scars that sliced down his face. With curiosity, she reached up and rested her hand on his sturdy jaw line, and noted that he shivered lightly when her fingertips barely made contact with the very tip of one particularly deep scrape.

The witch found with a pleasant warmth spreading from her chest that the two of them were slowly leaning closer and closer to one another, albeit subconsciously. She hadn't even realized it until she felt more pressure from his hand against her cheek followed by the same sensation of her hand pushing even more into his flesh.

Just before the two could press their foreheads together, Eve fluttered her eyelashes and released a breath before murmuring quietly, "Um… W-Why did you stop coming? To preschool, I mean." The spell broken, they both pulled back until they were a more suitable distance away from one another, and she cleared her throat and reiterated a little louder, "That is, one day you just didn't show up, and… Oh, Remus, I was so distraught." She pulled the blanket around her completely until she was enveloped in it.

Remus sighed and turned his head to gaze deeply into the fire. Within its flames, he watched as a mischievous little boy giggled and, under the cover of darkness and the blanket of sleep it laid over his parents, escaped from his house to frolic under the light of the full moon not long after he'd given Woofie to Eve. He swallowed as that same innocent little boy recklessly disobeyed his parents' orders about leaving their home unsupervised after sunset, and as he raced the wind up a hill and into his mother's garden, he crawled about on all fours like a wolf and howled to the sky, mimicking his, or, rather, Evie's stuffed animal wolf. Breathless and exhausted, the little boy plopped down amongst the flowers, lying beside vines of ivory-hued, thorny roses, winding up the fence of the little plot of land. A shadow crossed the fire just then, as the young man watched the little boy jump to his feet at a nearby, frightening sound, swinging his head this way and that in a frail attempt to catch which direction it was coming from. A twig snapped behind him, and when he turned around, he saw the distorted features of a wolf as it brought back its weight onto its hind legs. His eyes were a hellish silver, and the little boy gasped and tried to run away when it tossed its head back and howled, but one of his pants legs held fast to several clutching thorns in the rose vines. He bent down and, in a mad scramble to escape, tried to free himself, but the next thing the boy knew, fangs and claws were ripping into him, biting into his shoulder so deeply, his blood stained the white, white roses in the garden as he screamed into the night, never to be the same again.

Remus craned his head away from the harsh burn of the firelight, and grimaced against the painful memory that flooded his mind next.

_Little Remus, still stuck in bed a few days after his biting, snuggled up with his blue blanky with his name embroidered into it and pulled his knees into his chest, almost wishing that he'd kept Woofie to comfort him in his time of need, though he knew that the wolf puppy was having a grand time at Evie's house._

_All Remus could do during that time was use his newly- and regretfully-heightened sense of hearing to listen to his Mummy from the next room over sob into the phone to his preschool teacher, as she pleaded with her to pity them and allow Remus to have a normal childhood._

"_Oh, please, Mrs. Sternstone, please let him return! He's made such wonderful friends, and the social activity would perk him right up; he may even heal quicker because of it!"_

"_I'm very sorry, Mrs. Lupin, but for safety purposes, I simply cannot allow him to be around the other children. I mean, the risk factor is exceptionally high according to the Ministry's view on werewolves-"_

"_For Merlin's sake, that preschool is supposed to be for muggles! They won't know the difference, they'll just think he's a little sickly!"_

"_The children may, for the most part, be muggle, Mrs. Lupin, but I certainly am not, and I know all too well that the existence of werewolves is real in our world. Now, whether the muggles would like to believe or not is entirely up to them, but, if a muggle child was ever injured by your son-"_

"_My son would _never _hurt another child!" Mrs. Lupin snapped through her tears._

"_-then they would run the risk of becoming a werewolf him or herself, which, in turn, might lend itself to their discovery of the magical world." Mrs. Sternstone continued as if Mrs. Lupin never said anything._

"_So what? So bloody what? I'm a muggle, and I did just fine when I learned of the magical world!"_

"_I must say that your case is quite different than an entire muggle family learning of the nature of the wizarding world. You married into our ways, Mrs. Lupin, the muggle family would be just that plus a werewolf if anything happened because of your son."_

"_Please… Please, show my boy some compassion. We've tried everything, Mrs. Sternstone; potions, spells, charms, medicine- everything! Nothing works, there is no cure for his lycanthropy, there isn't even anything that'll take care of the pain he'll go through each month! Can you imagine the toll on his little body? He'll need to know some happiness every other time of the month in order to combat the agony he'll go through during the full moon."_

_Pain? Remus didn't want any pain. Wasn't the bite his shoulder had been torn by enough? He was going to have monthly pain? He didn't want monthly pain; from the moaning and groaning he'd heard his mother do about 'monthly pain', he knew it wasn't fun. He didn't want to have to deal with that, especially since whenever she got her 'monthly pain', she was in such a sour mood that it almost made him afraid of her. He didn't want anyone to fear him!_

"_I'm sorry, but I simply cannot allow it."_

_Mrs. Lupin's head collapsed on the table, and she covered the speaker end of the phone with her hand as she sobbed. No one was offering a ray of hope or a scrap of help to her family, as if they were afraid that by so doing that they, too, would be inflicted with the curse that was now coursing through her little boy's veins. Turning to her husband, she whimpered, "No one will help us, darling. No one… No one will give our Remus sympathy."_

_Mr. Lupin's chin wobbled and he reached out to stroke his wife's light hair back from where it was adhered to her moist face. "What about… What about that girl? The one Remus seems so attached to? Can he at least contact her? Talk to her? I'm sure that would help."_

_The flame in Mrs. Lupin's hazel eyes flickered with new hope and she rubbed the tears off her face, blew her nose, and picked up the phone. Placing it to her ear and mouth, she cleared her throat and inquired, "Please… I'm begging you… Remus has taken to a little girl in your preschool- Eve, I believe her name is."_

"_I forbid him from seeing her."_

"_No, no, he won't, it's just… please, can he at least have her phone number so he could talk to her? That would lift his spirits so much, the poor child… He must feel so lonely now, so depressed. If he could just speak with her, I know he'd perk right up."_

_Remus tensed up in his bed before groaning softly as the motion brought on a wave of pain from the bitten sections of his neck and shoulder, and he relaxed. He could still talk to Eve? He would love that; he would love that so very much!_

"_Absolutely not." Mrs. Sternstone firmly responded._

"_What?! Why not? He won't be in contact with her, so there's not a chance of harm!"_

"_That is a breach of confidentiality between the students' personal contact information and the school, for one thing. For another, you could just as easily set up play dates at your house or hers if I give you her phone number. No, I'm hereby cutting off all contact between your son and my students, and that is that, Mrs. Lupin. I thank you for your _

_past support, but I must end it here. Good day." With that, Mrs. Sternstone hung up the phone and left the distraught mother banging her head on the table in turmoil._

_Mrs. Lupin ripped out the telephone from the wall and threw it across the room, knocking into a large mirror framed by carved wood, causing it to rattle against the wall and fall, sending shards of glass everywhere. "They can't do this to my son, John! THEY CANNOT DO THIS TO MY SON!" She shrieked at her husband before falling into a shuddering, wailing heap on the floor. Mr. Lupin knelt beside his wife and gathered her into his arms, rocking back and forth with her in an attempt to calm her. Sniffling, he allowed his own tears to flow free._

"_It'll be alright, dearest." He said, placing a kiss to the top of her head as she sobbed. "It'll all be alright." He couldn't help but believe with his heart and soul that this was entirely his fault. If he hadn't offended Fenrir Greyback, his tiny son wouldn't have had to pay. "Oh, Merlin, I'm so sorry. I'm so… so sorry!" He cried as he buried his face into his hair. No child should have to suffer through this._

_Remus eased himself up to a sitting position, and, dragging his blanket along, slowly hobbled his way over to the room his parents were in. Standing in the doorway, he swallowed down a lump in his throat as one thing raced across his mind._

_He'd never see Evie again._

"I, um… I mean, my parents, they… they couldn't send me anymore." Remus swallowed, finding his mouth suddenly dry. Clearing his throat, he elaborated, "They didn't have the money to."

"Oh," Eve breathed, pressing her fingertips to her lips. "Oh, Remus, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, don't worry about it. Things aren't as hard on us now, but…we're still not the wealthiest family in the world." Remus admitted. _Because of all the useless treatments they've put me through._ He thought bitterly to himself.

"Every family has its difficulties," Eve reasoned. "I mean, my family…" She cleared her throat and shook her head, leaning to one side to scratch an itch on her scalp. "Nothing, nevermind."

"No, what is it?" Remus inquired, tilting his head curiously.

"No, no, this really isn't the time or place to discuss such a thing… I'll… I'll tell you someday, I promise." Eve rolled up the sleeve to her sweater and checked the time. "Ooh, it's high time for some sleep, don't you think?" She inquired as she rose from her seat, folded the afghan and rested it along the back of the couch.

Remus stood up as well, and walked with her to the stairs that led to the girls' dormitory. Eve grinned shyly at the gesture and, pushing his bangs out of his eyes, said, "It was great catching up with you, _Mussy_."

With a smirk, Remus leaned forward and gently gathered her into a hug. "You, too, _Evie_."

The witch settled into his embrace for a minute, enjoying the feel of her heart beating heavily against his. Regretfully, sleep called to her, and she knew she'd be cranky in the morning if she didn't heed it, and so she lightly pulled away and, gazing up into his eyes, said, "Good night, Remus."

"'Night, Eve." Remus replied as she watched her ascend the stairs. Turning around, he began walking toward the steps that traveled up to the boys' dormitories, but came to a halt when he heard his name being called again. He swiveled back around and arched an inquisitive eyebrow at the blushing witch as one of her index fingers made a path along the cement in between the bricks that made up the walls.

"I still think you're cute." Eve shyly murmured, batting her eyelashes at her stunned friend before feeling even more blood rush to her face. Running a hand over the curls by one of her ears, she timidly cleared her throat and muttered another departure before walking the rest of the way to the girls' dormitory.

Remus stood stunned for a minute after she left. She… She thought he was cute? She thought he was cute. She thought he was cute! What the bloody hell did that mean? Was it the handsome kind of cute or the friend kind of cute? Well, it looked like he'd have to find out the hard way. What way that was, he wasn't really sure. Girls really were too complicated to figure out.

Shaking his head, he made his way up the stairs to the boys' dormitory, quite looking forward to a long night's rest. He'd had such a long day, he felt as if he'd recalled his entire lifetime.


	8. There's Something I Want to Ask You

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the reviews, everyone; keep them coming! Constructive criticism is always welcome so I know what I can improve upon, and telling me what you like in the fanfiction so I know what I'm doing right is great, also. **Please keep reviewing, everyone!** Again, I'd like to extend an invitation to the readers who either haven't reviewed yet or haven't reviewed a lot.

Also, **I'm considering writing a companion piece to **_**Written in the Stars**_ The companion piece would consist of the preschool days of Remus and Eve. **Please leave a review to tell me what you think of this plan, and if you have any ideas you think would be good in it.**

**Publish Date:** Sunday, February 24, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Eight: There's Something I Want to Ask You

Eve giggled to herself as she awoke to look the midnight plastic eyes of the stuffed animal gazing back at her. She had decided to hold Woofie while she slept the previous night, seeing as she and 'Mussy' had been reunited once more, and she even whispered to him all they'd remembered before the fireplace.

Lightly patting the wolf on its head, she cooed to it, "He remembers you, you know; your Mussy remembers you." With that, the young witch sat up, propping the pup on her pillow. Drawing out her tarot cards from her bedside table, she shuffled them while inquiring to herself, _How far will we get?_

She paused in her shuffling to draw a card and found the lovers grinning up at her as they happily embraced one another.

Rolling her gray eyes, she clarified, "Not in making our friendship a relationship, I meant 'how far will we get in our project today?' What a lovesick deck I have!" With that, she mixed up her cards once again, and plucked up another card, and another, and another, but all she selected from the deck were chalices, cards that dealt with emotions and relationships.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she muttered, "Dear Merlin, Woofie, I really _do_ have a lovesick deck!" She shook her head and placed the cards back in their bag before surveying the tiny creature. It looked well-cared-for, and, although its fur was a little matted from its age, it looked, for the most part, as she remembered it had the day it was given to her.

Gathering up the stuffed animal in her arms, she walked it over to the wooden chest that sat at the foot of her four-poster and, after opening it up, stored Woofie within its wooden depths. Eve blew the little wolf pup a kiss before allowing the lid to creak shut over him so she could get ready to start her day.

.x:X:x.

Sirius rolled over and stretched in his bed as he slowly felt himself reenter his body from a full night's rest. "Mmm… Anna, Anna, Anna; you're too beautiful for your own good, you know that?" He chuckled to himself. When he rolled over, he found his lycanthropic friend sitting up in his own four-poster, scribbling away in the sketchbook propped open in his lap with a mirror in one hand and a quill in the other, as he put on a rather cheerful expression to be reflected in the glass.

"What're you doing, mate?" he asked Remus as he slipped out of bed and sat next to him.

Remus blushed and quickly shut the book. "Oh, uh, nothing."

Sirius rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his uncombed hair before saying, "Look, I already know you're drawing Eve, so you might as well show it to me before I take it from you." He arched an eyebrow at his friend and held out his hand expectantly.

Remus sighed; it was still only a few days since the full moon had last ravaged his body, leaving in its wake a vicious wolf that had created sores that, for the most part, laid dormant unless there was pressure on them. He knew Sirius wasn't afraid to physically tackle him to get his drawing pad, and so he handed it over with a scarlet face.

"Honestly, how embarrassing could it be?" Sirius mumbled as he flipped through the drawings his friend had etched into the paper. He found his two freshest sketches toward the end of the book and off-handedly commented, "You're going to need a new sketch book soon, mate; this one's more than halfway filled." His eyebrows furrowed as he surveyed the first of the new drawings. It showed Eve as she had been the night before, with half her face thrown into the shadows and the other portion illuminated by the firelight, her features sharpened by the contrast. The second one made Sirius's eyes widen, as he now knew why Remus had been holding a mirror up in front of his face before: it was a drawing of Eve and him hugging each other, grinning up at Sirius cheek-to-cheek.

Swallowing, Sirius gently inquired as he turned to look at his friend, "Is this the first time you've ever drawn yourself?"

Remus fiddled idly with a corner of his blanket and nodded his head silently in return.

The dark-haired Marauder bobbed his head slowly before looking back to the portrait. With a start, he realized something: Remus had drawn himself without any scars on his face. He had such low self-confidence this short a time after the full moon that he should've drawn himself with them… A realization tickled the back of his mind as he turned back to his friend and inquired, "She… She makes you feel better, then? About yourself, I mean?"

Remus sniffed the air for a moment, and then swallowed and nodded as he murmured, "She makes me feel… _human_."

Sirius, although wanting to comfort one of his best mates, tightened his grip on the sketchbook and smacked Remus over the head with it.

"OW!" Remus yipped as he grabbed his head. "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"Go after her, you sorry git! Don't just sit there and wait for someone else to come along, scoop her up, and fly off with her on a broomstick into the sunset!" Sirius hissed, putting his face right up in front of the werewolf's.

"Shove off, it's none of your business, Sirius!" Remus shot back, pushing him up and off him as he sat up in his bed.

"I'm making it my business! I can't believe you're going to let this girl get away; I've never seen you act this way for anyone before!" Sirius exclaimed, making Remus turn to look away. He grabbed his chin and forced him to look him in the eye, "Mark my words, Remus, if you don't do something about that girl… I will."

"Why do you even care? And, at any rate- Wait, what do you mean you'll 'do something about' Eve?" Remus narrowed his eyes at Sirius.

Sirius was at a loss as to what to say for a moment, but he quickly recovered when recalled a very tasty little detail. "You know that Halloween ball that's coming up?"

Remus cautiously nodded, not understanding where Sirius was going with this.

"I'll ask her to it if you don't. I swear it, Moony; I will ask her to out to the Halloween ball if you don't ask her first." Sirius said, hoping that this little bit of rivalry would spur his friend into action.

"You wouldn't dare!" Remus sputtered in horror. "You can't be serious!"

With a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye, Sirius replied, "Every day."

"But-But, what about Anna? Won't _she_ be upset with you?" Remus inquired in a frail attempt to get his friend to back down.

"No, she's going with some Derek Gotter git," he growled low, obviously unhappy with the idea of another guy stealing the heart of _his_ girl… even if she wasn't technically 'his'. Trying to shrug it off, he added, "He got to her before I even met her."

Remus's lips parted, but all that emanated from them were an incoherent string of syllables and sounds.

Sirius grinned, certain that he'd gotten his point across, and Remus could practically smell the other boy's feeling of triumph as it radiated from him in waves. "That's right, Moony; you have until five o'clock to invite her to the ball, or I will, no ifs, ands, or buts." He patted his friend on the shoulder and that was that.

.x:X:x.

Remus strummed his fingers against the table and craned his neck to check the time again. It was closing in on 4:45. Where the bloody hell was she? As he waited for her, he ran through different lines in his head.

_Hey, Eve, I was wondering, would you like to attend the upcoming ball with me?_

_Nah, too… blah._

_Eve, I'd like to inquire as to if I could have the honor of escorting you to the-_

_Nope, too cheesy._

_Eve, would you-_

"Woofie says he misses his Mussy," Eve whispered into Remus's ear, breaking through his line of thought. She giggled before walking around to sit beside him at the table in the library. She rifled through her papers until she found the notes she'd been taking on their project. "I would've brought him down to visit you, but I didn't want to be carrying around a stuffed animal all throughout the school, you know?"

Remus grinned and nodded, happy that Eve was finally there with him. "I understand, sure. I honestly can't believe you've kept him after all these years."

"Oh, believe it. I have a whole dormful of witches who'll vouch for me." Eve grinned and set her reading glasses on the bridge of her nose and pulled out a quill and ink before scribbling down a couple of words onto their sketch of the model they wanted to make of their universe. "Alright, so, down to business, what do you think we should make the model out of?"

Remus, who'd just about opened his mouth to ask her to the ball, paused when he was asked a question. "Uh…" He scratched the side of his head in thought. "I… guess we could make it out of that Styrofoam stuff we learned about in muggle studies… but, wait, there's something I wanted to-"

"We'd have to paint the Styrofoam spheres to look like our planets and the sun, then. Is that alright with you?" Eve inquired, quill poised above her parchment.

Remus stopped again and pondered, "Oh, uh, yeah, sure."

She scratched down a few notes and spoke at the same time, "Oh, and, by the way, I'm sorry I'm late. I met up with Lily in the corridor, and we got to talking, so… yeah, I didn't exactly mean for it to happen, but she holds very interesting conversations, that Lily, doesn't she?"

With a warm smile, Remus said, "Why, yes, yes she does."

Eve paused in her writing for a moment to mirror his expression and inquire, "Oh, you were trying to say something before, I believe? What was it?"

Remus felt his nerves act up and he swallowed, trying to steady himself. _Come on, Remus, you can do this; just ask her to the ball, that's all. What's the worst that can happen? It's just one night of dancing… Besides, even if she says 'no', that's the very worst she can do, isn't it? Of course it is!_

Just as Remus drew in a breath to pop the question, who should wander in but Mr. Sirius Black himself? He clapped a hand on Eve's shoulder and smiled down at her, making Remus hurry up and say at the same time as the other Marauder:

"Eve, there's something I want to ask you."

**Author's Note:** Ooh, who's she going to choose to speak first? Have a preference as to which one she should go with? Drop me a review and tell me! )

Yeah, I know it's an unusually short chapter, but I decided to leave end it with a good cliffhanger this week.


	9. The True Mischievous Marauder

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, and Derek Gotter, who are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's characters and creations to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the reviews, everyone. **Keep them coming!**

**Publish Date:** March 2, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Nine: The True Mischievous Marauder

"Eve, there's something I want to ask you."

The cornered witch blinked at the two wizards flanking her, waiting expectantly with baited breath for her to address one of them.

"Well, _that_ was interesting," Eve chuckled, breaking the hovering silence that smothered the trio. Sirius responded with a sincere chuckle, while Remus was left to force one. It was times like these- when a girl he fancied was involved- that made the slightly introverted werewolf wish that he was a bit more like Sirius. The blue-eyed Marauder looking as though he was at ease with the world, let alone himself, as he leaned his weight on one leg, peered down at the pretty witch perched at the edge of her chair, and unleashed his warm, trademark grin on her. Maybe if Remus hadn't been bitten, he would be more like Sirius. Maybe if he weren't a werewolf, he would've already worked up the nerve to ask Eve to the ball. Maybe…

"So, Sirius," Eve's words sliced through Remus's thoughts like a chilled knife through melted butter. He felt his heart begin to pound frantically against his ribcage like a fluttering canary trying to escape the confines of its cage. Sirius was, once again, going to get the girl.

"Sirius," Eve repeated while gesturing for the addressed young man to take a seat in an empty chair perpendicular from her at the small square table Remus and she shared, "what is it that you'd like to ask me? And then I'll listen to you, Remus." She sent a well-meaning smile his way, one that warmed the young man's heart but made him muster up a mere replica of the expression for the sake of saving face before she turned to listen to his fellow Marauder.

"Well, Eve," Sirius began while lowering himself down into the offered chair, "it occurred to me a short while ago that _I_ haven't a date to the upcoming Halloween Ball. It has also occurred to me that _you_ haven't an escort." A crease gathered between Eve's brows as she gazed up at the Marauders curiously. Sirius's eyes tilted to drink in the sight of his flushed and anxious friend, which caused him to grin smugly at him and add, "Let's just say I heard it through the grapevine." He shifted in his place to look at Eve once more before continuing, "Which brings me to my point. I was wondering if I could ask to be your escort to the Halloween Ball?" He flicked his dark bangs from his eyes and tossed another flawless grin her way.

Remus felt his racing heart freefall from his chest, roll into his knee, tumble through his foot and the floor beneath, and embed itself within the ground as he watched Eve's smile hold steady on her pleasantly surprised face, but what he couldn't see was the disappointment behind the façade of the pale gray eyes. She'd had the faint hope the Remus might ask her to the ball, though she'd told herself that he had other female friends that he'd known for longer than her (ones he'd actually kept in touch with over the years), that he'd probably prefer to ask to the ball instead of her. However, she'd never expected for _Sirius_ to ask to be his date. She didn't really know him all that well, although they'd definitely spoken over the years; and, what's more, Anna, her best friend, was snogging him. Her friends always came before boys, period.

"Sirius, I'm flattered that you've asked me to the ball, but won't Anna-"

"Anna has already accepted Derek Gotter's invitation to the Halloween Ball. Why should she care who _we_ go with?" He interrupted through his teeth with a note of bitterness laced into his words. Picking up her slight hand delicately, he smooched the back of it and added, "Moony was right about you; you truly are a charming girl, always looking out for others."

Remus felt his blood bubble like red-hot heat in his veins. This was a new low, even for Sirius. He'd thought that the handsome Marauder would've at least had the decency to leave a girl be if one of his friends fancied her. Who the bloody hell did he think he was?

The werewolf took out a scrap of parchment, a quill and some ink, and began scribbling nonsense that was meant to look like information for their project.

Eve turned to Remus and lightly placed a hand to his arm while inquiring, "Did you really say that about me? That's too kind!" She beamed for a moment before turning to Sirius and, clearing her throat, replied, "Sirius, if you're absolutely, positively certain that Anna won't mind us attending the Halloween Ball together, then I'll go with you."

Sirius grin broadened, and he glanced at Remus, who'd accidentally crunched the quill in two in his hand. Good, at least he'd learned his lesson: get to the girl first, before another boy sweeps her away. "It's a date. I'll see you then!" He pressed his lips to the back of her hand once more, winked, and strutted proudly out.

Eve took a moment to draw in a breath, gather her thoughts, and, turning to Remus, inquire, "What was it that _you_ wanted to ask me?"

The wizard's eyes darted to the quill's shattered spine in his hand and, with a forced sheepish grin, asked, "Do you have an extra quill I could borrow?"

.x:X:x.

Eve paced about nervously by the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. She'd checked the rest of the library, the Great Hall, and outside after she left when they'd finished working on their project for the day. She wanted to catch Anna and tell her that Sirius had asked her to the Halloween Ball before she heard otherwise from someone else, such as that it was really _Eve_ who'd asked _Sirius_.

The brunette was concerned with how her friend would take the news. She knew the blonde had feelings for him, else she wouldn't be snogging him, but she still fancied Derek. Surely she couldn't have both, and she had to _know _that she couldn't have both, hadn't she?

She _really_ didn't want another quarrel to arise between them; they'd just recently gotten over their last one when Anna had told Sirius that Eve fancied Remus, which, at the time she hadn't, but, oh, the irony… now she did! She almost wished that Anna would say it again just so Remus would know, or, better yet, that she'd find the courage within herself to tell her. Where the bloody hell was the Gryffindor courage she was supposed to have when she needed it most?

Oh, no, what if Anna thought that Eve was trying to get back at her for their dispute by attending the ball with Sirius? That would rip up the sewing they'd been doing to repair their previously battered friendship, and possibly blow it further down the drain than it had been with their first fight. How was she going to handle this?

Eve's eyes glanced up as she heard the bouncy footsteps of her best friend approach her, and she swallowed as the other witch offered a warm smile.

"Well, hello, Eve. What're you doing here?"

.x:X:x.

Remus had remained at the library after Eve walked out, hurling himself at his portion of work on the project so he could take his mind off of what just happened. He figured if they lost the Styrofoam balls and instead made the planets out of colorful swirling gases held together by magic, it'd make for a far more impressive- let alone less messy- presentation. Then, the model could revolve around itself with the aid of magic, and they could cast a spell to sprinkle stars that would hover around their little universe-

How could that bloody blue-eyed, raven-haired, perfect, charming git do this to him?! What did Remus ever do to Sirius to make him ask the girl _he_ fancied to the ball?

He had to do something about this… but what? He could tell Eve everything; that Sirius only asked her because Remus hadn't, and he was trying to get him to learn how to at least try to court a girl he fancied, but he figured that Eve would either get offended and think he was lying, or laugh in his face at the notion of him, Remus John Lupin, having developed a fancy for her.

Alright, so, in all honesty, he couldn't see his (yes, 'his'; just because Sirius was escorting her to the ball didn't mean that she was Sirius's!) Evie laughing in his face or taking him for a liar, but… but… it was the principle of the thing! She wasn't supposed to be going with Sirius, she was supposed to be going with _him_, and that was that!

With a frustrated sigh, the young wizard slammed his notebook shut and shoved all his belongings into his book bag. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he began striding out of the library, figuring that a walk outside in the fresh air might do him some good.

As he was walking past an aisle nestled cozily between two bookcases, he glanced his brown eyes over as his ear picked up on a low, muffled sound, and he stopped where he was.

The sound had been a light moan, and it came from a girl that he'd originally mistaken for Anna. However, as he drew cautiously closer, he realized that it was actually another blonde by the name of Cynthia Young. This intrigued Remus, as he could clearly see that the boy she was currently playing tonsil Quidditch with was none other than Derek Gotter.

_Huh… I thought he was with Anna…_

He felt a dawning of realization in the back of his mind, and he scowled in disgust at the two- especially Derek, seeing as he was the one who was cheating- before he turned to half-jog away. It was then that an idea hit him, and he suddenly knew what he was going to do about Sirius and Eve.

Being a mischievous Marauder definitely had its advantages.

**Author's Note: **I am considering writing a **companion piece to **_**Written in the Stars**_. It would focus on Eve and Remus's time in preschool. In your review**, please tell me if you are for or against this thought**, and if you have any ideas (rated K or lower, no exceptions), please write that in, too.

Another short chapter, but, aha, two more cliffhangers! Stay tuned to see how everything plays out!


	10. Anna's Scheme

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Wow, guys, over two thousand hits to this fanfiction! Thanks a bunch! **Please keep reviewing!**

So sorry I couldn't update last week. As stated in my profile, I was busy and didn't have the time. I hope this chapter makes up for the delay!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, March 16, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Ten: Anna's Scheme

"Well, hello, Eve. What're you doing here?"

Eve stopped in her pacing along the corridor and looked up at Anna for a moment, drawing in a deep breath to ground and center her courage. She noticed that Anna was only paying half of her attention to Eve, as she was burrowing through her bookbag for Merlin knew what and was scarcely looking up at her. She balanced on one foot as her other knee was brought up to lean the bookbag on as she searched. The brunette only hoped her friend's distraction would last long enough for her to tell her about Sirius's proposal so she wouldn't get too upset with her.

"Anna," Eve began, wringing her hands as she approached the Ravenclaw, "um, there's something I need to talk to you about." _Please keep searching, please keep searching._

"Uh-huh… yeah," Anna off-handedly murmured. She dug deeper into her bag while muttering under her breath, "Oh, come here, you!"

"See, Anna, what I mean to say is-"

"Ah! Got you!" She withdrew her hand and produced a chubby container of lip balm. Smiling victoriously, she applied a thin layer to her cracked lips before putting it away and complaining, "Ugh, my lips are so chapped! I've got to meet with Sirius in a while, too!" With that, she pulled out a compact mirror and flipped it open so she could make sure her make-up and hair were flawless.

"Anna," Eve sighed, preparing herself for the full blow of Anna's wrath as she had nothing to divert her attention away from what was about to be said, "that's exactly what I came here to talk to you about: Sirius."

"Really? What about Sirius?" Anna asked with interest, her sky blue eyes sparkling happily at the mere mention of his name.

"Well, see…" The Gryffindor fiddled with her sleeves as she spoke and stepped forward to further close the gap between her and her friend. Placing her hand on Anna's shoulder, she explained, "Before I say anything else, please know that I had absolutely nothing to do with this. Okay?"

Anna narrowed her eyes and hesitantly replied, "O-Okay…"

"See… Sirius visited Remus a-and me when we were working in the library, and… Anna, he-he asked me… to attend the ball… with him…"

Anna's face drooped a smidge, but she batted her eyelashes expectantly at Eve and suggested, "And I'm certain you turned him down, did you not?"

Eve arched her eyebrows, feathers ruffled at the thought that her friend believed she could have more than one boy to herself without interference. Trying to be polite, she patiently responded, "Anna, need I remind you that you already have an escort to the ball? You've been planning on attending with Derek Gotter for quite some time."

"Yes, but… he asked me before I even met Sirius; you know I'd prefer to go with _him!_" Anna exclaimed, her face reddening as she ran a hand through her hair and fisted it in frustration. "I can't believe you're doing this to me, Eve!"

"He said you wouldn't mind because you're going with Derek!" Eve defended.

"Oh, so, now he knows how I feel about everything, does he?" Anna placed her hands on her hips as her face flamed to a tomato hue.

"Anna, that's not what I meant! I asked him if he thought you'd be alright with it, and he said yes, and so I agreed to go to the ball with him. It's not like I agreed to court him; I'm just going to the ball with him!" Eve waved her arms around as she spoke to drive home her point. "If I knew it'd upset you so, I would've turned him down, you know that!"

Not even listening to her friend anymore, Anna walked past her a little and snapped, "Is this you trying to get back at me for telling Sirius you fancy Remus?"

"What? No! Anna, I just told you-"

"Mature, Eve. _Real_ mature." Anna said as her lower lip quivered and she stomped off, heading for the girls' bathroom so she could have some privacy.

Eve watched with her mouth agape like that of a fish, and, when she could no longer see the flash of blonde suspended in the dark corridor, she hopped up and down and growled in frustration. "Ugh! Anna, I can't believe you, sometimes!" She screeched to herself before storming off.

.x:X:x.

Remus, after doing quite a bit of tracking Anna down, finally ended up outside the girls' bathroom where Moaning Myrtle was said to haunt. He didn't mind the poltergeist, seeing as there were many ghosts who haunted the castle, making him completely used to and comfortable with the thought.

No, it was merely the fact that it was a _girls'_ bathroom he was about to enter that startled him. What could he expect in there? Would it be so pink and frilly it would make him go blind? Would there be so much perfume in the air that it would irreparably damage his sense of smell? Would the jabber of girls (or, at least, those who were stupid enough to enter the bathroom Moaning Myrtle haunted, no offense to Anna) make him go deaf?

_Oh, for Merlin's sake, stop overreacting; it's just a girls' bathroom!_ He thought with a roll of his chocolate-brown eyes before hesitantly pushing on the door and entering.

Well, that was a relief; the bathroom was nothing like he'd expected. Actually, with the exception of the lack of urinals, it was exactly the same; blah-brown décor like the boys' bathroom, just as many stalls, and a high ceiling and window, as well.

No sooner had he stepped into the bathroom did a bought of sniffling and crying permeate his ears.

"Myrtle?" He inquired, allowing the door to swing shut behind him. "Myrtle, is that you?"

Myrtle rocketed out from one stall, cross and obviously not crying. "No, it is _not_ me! Just because I'm sad every once in a while, doesn't mean I'll be blubbering _all_ the time, thank you very much! At any rate, I'm not _nearly_ so vain as to wail about having two boys who fancy me and only being allowed to go to the ball with one." With that, she began moaning as she covered her creasing face in her hands and flew into another stall, diving into the toilet there.

Remus shook his head; honestly, that banshee was far more emotional than she needed to be.

He heard the crying cease after all the racket, and a soft, quivering, "Hello?" make its way from a stall.

Cautiously approaching, he pushed the door of it open to see a red-eyed, tear-streaked Anna batting her eyes with a handkerchief as she sat on the closed lid of the toilet.

She sighed and shut her eyes, annoyed. "Oh, it's you, Remus. Well, if Eve honestly thinks she can make amends so easily with me by sending _you_ to do her work-"

"What? No, Eve didn't send me… but… I assume she told you what happened with Sirius, yes?" Remus asked, keeping his tone light and soft, so as not to further upset the already heartbroken witch.

Anna sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with the cloth in her hands before nodding in reply. "How could she do this to me? She's my best friend!"

Remus leaned forward until he was kneeling on the floor before her and looking up at her. "I must admit that, while I haven't known her for a long time, that it did seem a little odd that she accepted Sirius's invitation, especially since she knows him less than she knows me." He muttered his last part quietly to himself, and Anna noticed that he looked particularly annoyed with that little detail.

"You're envious of him," she whispered in realization, lowering the hand that held the handkerchief. She chuckled once in awe and then said, "Oh, dear Merlin… you _do_ fancy her."

Remus blinked up at Anna before she mirthlessly said, "You ought to tell her, you know. I'd do it, but I feel my friendship with her is rather strained at the moment."

Remus shook his head. "No, I don't want you to tell her." He looked down and, after swallowing under the confused gaze of the witch before him, he said, "What I'm about to tell you must be kept strictly between us, do you understand?"

Anna nodded quickly, wanting to hear this promising tidbit of information.

With a sigh, he said, "It's just, _I _should be the one to tell her all of this, no one else, that's all. Look, my feelings for her have been growing as our work on the Astronomy project progresses. Even so, I do have some… some _past issues_ I need to deal with if I even want to _think_ about asking her to be my girlfriend, issues that would affect her, as well, were she to accept my offer."

"She would," Anna offered.

Remus arched an eyebrow at her. "Why would you think that?"

"I'm her best friend, remember?" She reminded him with an extravagant wave of her arms. "I _don't_ think when it comes to Eve, I _know!_ She _tells_ me everything I need to know about her!"

"Okay, okay," Remus chuckled, throwing his hands up into the air in defense.

Anna laughed softly in reply and said, "She fancies you back, you know. There is one thing you need to know about her, though, that'll make it easier for you to woo her."

Remus nodded and leaned in, eagerly wanting to hear the advice Anna had to give him.

Anna shifted in her seat and said gently, "She's had some issues with her father."

Oh, this sounded familiar. His mind flashed back to a night not too long ago where they had been sitting together, and she was about to say something about her family to him. He'd encouraged her to speak, but she'd backed down and shyly looked away.

"Ah, yes, I've been wondering what she hasn't been telling me about that. Continue."

"See, she's muggleborn, and the first time she heard about her being a witch was when she was eleven. Her grandparents and sister- though Dawn was only four at the time- were supportive of her, while her parents weren't. They had made all these plans for her life, like where she'd attend school and such, and her magical abilities destroyed them. Her mother has since come to be more accepting, and is fine with Eve being a witch, but her father hasn't changed, straining her relationship with him. When he first found out, he said plenty of things to her that have stayed with her and haunt her even now." Anna paused to allow Remus to soak everything in.

The werewolf was astounded. How could her own father not accept her? Finding out that one is magical wasn't all that big of a deal, or so he believed. It was just an extra talent that one had; some were good at sports, some were good at writing, and others were magical. He shuddered at the thought of his parents being that way, as if they'd abandoned him just for the fact that he was magical, they'd have no problem leaving him behind after his disastrous bite. He thanked his lucky stars every day of his life that he had caring and accepting parents who tried their best to help him through his difficult transformations.

"Well…" Anna continued, "the things he said make her self-conscious now, and a little shy when it comes to courting, so if you really want her to be yours, you're going to have to work extra hard."

Remus bobbed his head, "Yes, of course; I was ready to do so, anyway." After a small pause to battle within his head whether or not he should vocalize the inquiry he had, he asked, "May I ask what he said to her?"

Anna nibbled on her lower lip, wondering if it would be a breech of best friend secrecy if she said anymore. _Well_, she figured, _at least it should help him in the long run._

"Alright, but don't tell Eve. She never exactly specified what I should keep to myself. Have you ever watched a muggle movie?"

Remus nodded his head. His mother was muggle, and so she felt that her wizard son should have a taste of both worlds, and, as a result, he'd seen many muggle movies, read many muggle books, and done many things exclusive to the muggle world. He wouldn't call himself an expert on the subject of muggles, but he did know more than some magic folk did about them and their ways.

"Well, some movies make fun of witches and make them look all ugly and whatever, which is _completely_ untrue."

"Completely," Remus agreed with a grin.

"Well her father said these horrible things to her just to scare her, and she was so young, of course she thought it was going to happen… He said that, once she began using magic, she'd turn into one of those ugly witches in the movies. Remus, he went so far as to say that she'd already begun the metamorphosis, and that she was starting to show signs of ugliness!"

Remus's mouth threatened to fall to the floor. How could someone be so cruel to a little girl who'd done nothing wrong? After the initial shock, he felt a violent wave of guilt crash into him; if he hadn't been so disobedient that night when he frolicked under the full moon, he still would've been friends with her at the time her father said those things, and he could've explained to her that magic was a normal way of life to some people. Maybe he could've saved her from dealing with what she had to go through.

"That's awful!" He hissed as he felt his blood come to a boil and his face turn plum purple. "She's anything _but_ ugly!" His fists clenched and he whispered possessively, "She's lovely!"

"I know… I just… I mean, _I_ started crying when she told me about it, I can't imagine having to actually go through it, you know?" Anna inquired, blowing her nose.

They sat in silence for a minute before Anna murmured, "Even though we're fighting now… I still love her like a sister, you know?"

Remus nodded, knowing exactly what she was talking about. He couldn't recount how many times he'd gotten into a tiff with the Marauders, but, no matter how angry they were with one another, they were always like brothers, and they always had each other's back.

Anna straightened up and inquired suddenly, "Oh, uh, what was it that you came here for?"

Remus swallowed and prepared himself for what he was going to say next. "Look, the only reason Sirius asked Eve to the ball was because I didn't. He wanted to 'teach me a lesson', or something, to get me to ask her before someone else did."

"Really?" Anna couldn't keep the hope out of her voice.

"Yes, really." He patted her arm and said sincerely, "Sirius is crazy about _you_."

She beamed at him and he smiled in return. "I wanted to ask you if I could escort _you_ to the ball so that we make Sirius and Eve jealous?"

"Ooh, the Marauder has a plan. I'd like to make Sirius jealous, but I've already accepted Derek Gotter's invitation." Anna said with a half smile.

"Anna," Remus gently began, "I saw him… in the library today… with Cynthia Young… snogging." Anna's face fell. "I'm so sorry."

Anna's eyes welled up with tears and she asked him, "Why won't one boy just _stay_ with me?" She brought her handkerchief up to her eyes and whimpered.

"Anna, trust me, if you weren't already attending with Derek, Sirius would've asked you in a heartbeat," Remus offered with a small smile.

"Do you really think so?" Anna inquired quietly.

Remus grinned and winked. "I don't think, I _know_."

Anna giggled. After a moment spent thinking over his offer, she said, "Yes, alright, I'll attend with you."

"Splendid!" Remus said, finally rising to his knees, wincing along the way as the hard tile did nothing to help his joints. He extended an arm to her, and she took it as he walked out of the bathroom with her (blatantly ignoring Myrtle's annoying giggle at overhearing their entire conversation from the pipe of a toilet) toward the Ravenclaw common room. "Now, Sirius may be expecting me to get back at him, so he may not look all that surprised. If you really want to bring him crawling back to you on his knees, you're going to have to act the part efficiently. Can you do that?"

"'Can I'?" Anna inquired as they reached their destination. "Why, both he _and_ Eve will be glowing green with envy by the end of the night when I'm through with my act."

"Marvelous," Remus stated. As he began walking off toward the Gryffindor common room, he inquired, "I'll meet up with you here tomorrow night, then, to walk you down to the ball, yes?"

"I'll be here. Thanks, Remus!" Anna called out as she entered the Ravenclaw common room and began scheming on what she would do.

Oh, yes, tomorrow night's ball would be a night none of them would ever forget.

**Author's Note:** Alright, everyone, it's that time again; the time when I reply to everyone's reviews since chapter five was posted. I'll do this every five chapters.

My response to the reviews is in chronological order of when they were given.

_Captain Saru-_ Thank you very much, I'm glad you're enjoying the fanfiction. I appreciate you reading my work and giving your feedback on it. Yes, I was 'aww'ing quite a bit, as well, as I wrote up the preschool chapter. I, myself, thought it was too cute that they knew each other way back then. And thank you so much for drawing that sketch of Woofie, it really is too adorable for words! Aha, but my cliffhangers keep people interested in what's going to happen next, so, in that respect, it's good, even though you hate when I use them. Thanks again, and please keep reviewing!

_CacahuetePoco_- Great, I love having reviewers who like to review! Oh, thank you very much! I'm glad you find this fanfiction 'inspiring'! Thank you, thank you; I too, like 'Mussy' as a nickname for Remus, along with 'Woofie' for his stuffed animal. Thank you, again; I'm glad you liked how Remus's bite scene played out. You really are too kind; I'm glad you think of me as a 'wonderful writer'. Thanks a bunch, and please keep reviewing!

_SailingAwaySoftly-_ Sorry to have scared you like that; every once in a while, life gets too hectic for me to write, and so I must miss an update for a week. I'm glad you like how I write Remus's and Eve's characters; I try my absolute best to make them believable, and, in Remus's case, true to his character as he was originally written in the books and movies. Aha, that's sweet that you'd like to be friends with Eve; she does seem like the type of person who's easy to get along with, doesn't she? Yes, I'm trying to subtly bring up a relationship between the two, and drawing her just seemed like the kind of thing he'd do, so, he did! Thank you! I'm glad you feel the fanfiction is 'fantastical'! Thank you again; I'm glad you liked the idea of them knowing each other prior to Hogwarts. Goodness, though, you gave me a scare when you stopped reviewing so suddenly! I'm happy to know you're still reading and that you haven't lost interest in the fanfiction; I was half afraid that you had! Aw, I'm glad you feel that you're 'absolutely in love' with the fanfiction; it lets me know that it's on the right track and that I'm doing a good job writing it. Well, I just decided to leave off on a cliffhanger to add to the drama, and so I did; it adds to the suspense and whatnot. I 

hope you like that Sirius got to ask first! I hope you're enjoying the latest chapters. Thanks a lot, and please keep reviewing!

_DarkHuntressMoMo-_ Aha, I'm glad you liked Eve slipping into Healer mode when she was with Remus; there will be more to come in the future! Yeah, I know, I just happen to like the word 'courting' for this fanfiction, and, when I looked it up, I believe (though I could be wrong) that I read the word was used until the sixties, and this is set only a decade later, so, it's possible that they could've still been using the word. I'm glad you think my story 'rocks'! I'd love to see a sketch from you on Woofie! But I _did_ get the idea from you, and so I felt the need to credit you! I'm glad you like the Peter and Narcissa thing that I added, as well as the Sirius and Anna relationship. Thanks, and please keep reviewing!

_Marsh W._- Aw, I'm glad you find my portrayal of the characters 'fascinating'. Aha, I'm glad you like my similes, I certainly had fun with them when I wrote them up. I hope you continue reading this fanfiction. Thanks a bunch, and please keep reviewing!

_Jess-_ I'm glad you thought the chapter was funny, and that the Evie and Mussy thing was to your liking. Aw, I'm happy to hear that you think this story is 'better than ever'! I hope you're enjoying the latest chapters. Many thanks, and please keep reviewing!

_MoonNightLover-_ Thank you; I'm glad you found the ending 'cute'. Aw, the children you work with sound adorable. Oh, how sweet that you know a child who's like young Remus; he must be a sweetheart. I'm glad you're 'loving' the fanfiction! Aw, I'm sorry, but Sirius got to Eve first. There is most definitely a good reason for it, though, I promise! You won't be disappointed! I'm glad you 'loved' the chapter! I hope you're enjoying the latest chapters. Thanks a lot, and please keep reviewing!

_Beautiful-Oblivion-xxx-_ Welcome! I'm glad you 'love the fanfiction already'! I hope you're enjoying the latest chapters. Thanks a bunch, and please keep reviewing!

_Nilmade Lailindeiel-_ Aha, your prediction was correct; Sirius asked first! I hope you're enjoying the latest chapters. Many thanks, and please keep reviewing!

_BlaireVolturi-_ Aw, I'm sorry you don't like my cliffhangers, but I hope you liked their outcomes! I hope this chapter clarified everything for you. Alright, thanks for your input on the companion piece; I think I will write one. Thanks a lot, and please keep reviewing!

_Toxic-Neon-_ I'm glad you 'love the story'! Many thanks, and please keep reviewing!


	11. Envy's Dance: Part One

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! As I've stated before, they really help me keep writing each chapter and the more reviews I get, the better. I'd like to invite **those who haven't reviewed** yet or **who haven't reviewed in a while** to **please leave a review**, as well as for** those who have reviewed**to **continue reviewing**.

Constructive criticism and lengthy reviews are always welcome!

Just to let my readers know, I've decided to categorize this fanfiction under "Drama" as well as "Romance", as I feel that the plot has taken and will, in the future, take some dramatic turns with the characters, and it would be best if it was under both of those categories.

Also, I'd like to let my readers know that I will be writing a **companion piece** to _Written in the Stars_ as soon as I write out a few ideas. That fanfiction will not be updated at a set time, only whenever I come up with an idea and have the time to write it out. I'm still deciding what its title should be, but it will be set in the preschool days of Remus and Eve. **I will write in an author's note when I update the companion piece.**

Lastly, I'd like to thank Aljinon for archiving this fanfiction in her community, _Dreamy Remy Fiction_. The community is centered on romantic pairings including Remus Lupin. Thank you very much, Aljinon for finding this fanfiction worthy enough to be archived! If anyone else would like to **archive this fanfiction in a community**, please **feel free**!

Please keep reading and reviewing, everyone! Happy Easter!

_**WARNING:**_ This chapter contains spoilers for _The Phantom of the Opera._ You have been warned.

**Publish Date:** Sunday, March 23, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Eleven: Envy's Dance: Part One

Lily shifted the intricately designed, shimmering golden tiara around in her auburn hair as she stood before the full-length mirror. Dropping her hands to her sides, she tilted and turned so her emerald dress caught the light of the girls' dormitory and cast it against the walls to dance and disappear.

Tonight was the first time she'd be attending a ball with the ever-so-famous James Potter, their first date as an official couple, and she wanted to look her very best for him. As she smiled to herself in the mirror at this thought, she heard soft, frustrated harrumphs and fractures of debating one was having with one's self, and, throwing one last look over her shoulder at herself, left the mirror and rounded the corner toward the sound.

Eve was groaning quietly in complaint and fiddling with her scarlet dress an awful lot, tugging it down here, yanking it up there, and smoothing it out wherever it was wrinkled. Lily looked rather impressed with the gown her fellow Gryffindor had, like her, transfigured from a set of her usual clothes. The main portion of the dress seemed simple enough to the redhead, as it was a basic corset design with a flowing skirt fashioned to jut from it. The strings 

that held the dress together in the back looked like black licorice, and the black lace at the font of the corset did a marvelous job at accentuating the parts of Eve's body that her school uniform engulfed and swallowed whole daily.

As Eve twisted and twirled this way and that, Lily caught sight of the hem of the skirt from her place in the doorway. It had crimson and ebony ruffles that shifted as she moved, and the skirt itself was higher in the front than it was in the back, so that her knees could be seen. The ruffles on the bottom were reflected along the rim of the corset, and when the brunette brushed her hair aside, Lily could see that it was strapless. Ooh, daring!

It was at this point that Eve had swiveled so that her back was facing the mirror, and she finally saw Lily standing at the door.

"Oh, Lily, you look wonderful!" Eve exclaimed, holding out her hands to her. Lily smiled and crossed the room to take them into her own. The curly-haired witch extended their hands out wide so she could take a good look at Lily's radiant gown. "You always look so lovely, Lily. You're going to make a wonderful princess for Halloween!" She said after she took in the crown.

"Ah, actually, I am a queen, thank you very much," Lily teased with a grin and a regal curtsey. "I'm attending the ball with James, so we decided to go as a King and Queen, 'cause, you know, King James."

Eve giggled and exclaimed, "How creative!"

"What was with all the hullabaloo I heard in the other room? It sounded like you were whining when you, quite frankly, haven't a reason to; you look very nice!"

"Oh, no, Lily," Eve replied. "No… I just… I don't think the dress fits me properly. It won't stay up where it needs to and it keeps on slipping… and it doesn't look all that wonderful on me because of that and… it just won't fit properly and…" She sighed in annoyance. "I'm getting so frustrated with it."

"Well, let me have a look, yes?" Lily inquired before trailing her jade eyes down Eve's dress, trying to find its fault. "Maybe if you put on the shoes you're going to wear first? That way, the skirt, which was beautifully crafted, by the way, doesn't drag on the floor and I can _really_ look at it properly."

Eve nodded and held out her hands. "Accio shoes." Two black, peep-toed high-heel shoes soared across the dormitory toward her and flew into each of her hands. She had previously painted her toenails a blood red, so when they poked out through the front of the shoes, they would contrast with them.

Once she pulled the shoes onto her feet, she stood up tall once more to let Lily survey her. She gazed at Eve once more before motioning with her hand for the girl to slowly spin around. As she did so, Lily caught sight of a flash of flesh peeking out from between the laces that too loosely bound the back.

"Oh, I see what it is; your corset isn't tied tightly enough, Eve. Here, allow me." Lily took up the laces in her hands and began tugging on them so that the gown would hug her body snugly. "So, what are you supposed to be?"

Eve fiddled nervously with the hem of her skirt before replying, "Oh, well, one of my favorite plays is _The Phantom of the Opera_. I've always loved the scene where Christine and Erik, the Phantom, sing 'The Point of No Return' with one another, because, well… I've always liked the idea of the two of them ending up together instead of Christine and Raul, which was what happened at the end of the play. So, yeah, anyway, I'm dressed as Christine from when she sings with the Phantom." She grinned sheepishly at Lily.

"Oh, that's nice," Lily cheerfully replied as she held her hand against the string to make sure they would remain taut as she tied them. As she was beginning to tie the corset tight, Lily inquired playfully with a small nudge into Eve's back, "So, who's your Phantom for the evening, Miss Pankhart?"

Smoothing out the front of her gown, Eve replied, "Well, I doubt he's going to be Erik, since we didn't talk about actually dressing up as a couple… But, Sirius is the one I'm attending with."

"WHAT?!" Lily practically shrieked. In her moment of panic, she yanked at the laces of Eve's dress, forcing the breath out of the poor girl's lungs. Eve staggered and caught herself at the post of a nearby bed, frantically trying to draw oxygen into her lungs.

"Lily… can't… _breathe…_" Eve wheezed with a grimace as she pressed the palm of her hand into her stomach.

"Ooh, sorry," Lily sympathized as she loosened her grip on the strings. Eve drew in a much needed breath of air as the other witch continued, "It's just that, well… Remus has been talking about you quite a bit lately… I'm just surprised you're not attending the ball with _him_, especially since he said he's dressing as…" She paused for a moment before shaking her head and deciding, "Never mind."

"Oh, um… He, uh, never asked me to go… with him… so…" Eve looked a bit uncomfortable for a minute as her eyebrows lifted upward. "What, ah… what has he been saying… about me?"

"Oh, I'm not certain I'm at liberty to speak," Lily replied apologetically as she made loops with the ties.

"O-Oh…"

"But, it's nothing bad, I assure you," she assured Eve as she finished tying the bow.

Smiling appreciatively, Eve stepped toward the mirror and found that the wrinkles were gone, as if an iron had been taken to them. It really was amazing how obvious the solution was, sometimes; why, it was almost as if she had been wondering why an electrical appliance hadn't been working and only just figured out that it was because it wasn't plugged in.

"Ah, thank you, Lily, that looks- not to mention feels- much better." She then frowned and began tampering with her hair and running her hands over her smooth cheeks critically, finding that it was just one of those times when she wasn't exactly pleased with her appearance. "Why I can never look halfway decent even in nice clothes, I'll never know."

Lily furrowed her eyebrows as she heard this but didn't say anything. Instead, she merely brushed back a strand of Eve's unruly, unrestrained hair back behind her shoulder, smiled politely, and turned to leave.

.x:X:x.

Oh, did Remus ever want to hex that smug little smirk right off Sirius's face right now! He wanted to curse him until he was unable to whistle the jolly ditty that was currently escaping the lips that had made girls swoon for him and beg him to snog them some more. He wanted to…

"Lovely night for a lovely ball, isn't it, Moony?"

Remus muttered a response before straightening his black bow tie, and tugging it until it was perfect. "It'll be 'lovely' once you see the little surprise I have for you," he couldn't help but retort louder with a grin.

"Oh, really, and what would that be? Are you going to poison me, Moony? Hmm? Are you going to curse me into next century?" Sirius challenged, crossing the floor to murmur into his mate's ear.

Remus merely arched an eyebrow at his friend and grinned, shaking his head and replying, "Nope. Even better."

Sirius knew the twinkle in his fellow Marauder's eyes well, it was the one he got just before he pulled a prank none of the other three of them knew about, one that blew all his previous ones clear out of the water. As often as Remus was thought of the shy, quiet one who spent more of his time scolding the others for their schemes than planning out plots of his own to carry out, he really was the most creative one when it came to pranking, he was just subtle and tasteful, as well, which was more than could be said for the rest. Whatever it was that the werewolf had up his sleeve was sure to be something that would blow his mind, of that Sirius was sure.

"Whatever you say, Moons."

Remus, clad in a crisp, white dress shirt with elegant, old-fashioned ruffles spilling down his chest, and a pair of simple, black pants, combed his hair back before waving his wand back over his hair to slick it and hold it in place with a gel spell. Once he was satisfied with the results, he pulled up a white mask and pressed it onto one side of his face.

Sirius arched an eyebrow at his friend and inquired, "What the bloody hell are _you_ supposed to be, a Death Eater with only half a mask?"

Remus turned toward him and eyed him as if that question was the most stupid inquiry he'd ever heard in his life. "Haven't you ever heard of _The Phantom of the Opera_?"

Sirius arched one eyebrow and furrowed the other beneath it, making him look quite comical in his confusion. "Should I have?"

Remus shook his head. "I'm the Phantom. Never you mind, though, I keep forgetting that you're a pureblood who falls asleep in muggle studies."

"Hey, that's only because that class is _boring_. I mean, I'm not prejudice against them or anything, but I can't imagine how uninteresting life must be without magic, you know?" Sirius leaned in toward his mirror to level out the tie at his throat.

"You had better change that attitude of yours if you're going to escort a _muggleborn_ _witch_ to the ball tonight," Remus threatened, shaking his index finger at Sirius.

Sirius merely blinked at him before muttering, "Yes, well, we wouldn't be having this argument if you'd just swallowed your ridiculous worries and asked Eve to the ball yourself!"

Remus sighed and rubbed at his dully-aching temple. "Or maybe if you'd just shoved off, I could be fairly content at this moment instead of quarrelling with you."

"Ooh, that one hurt, Moons; how long did it take for you to come up with that one?" Sirius asked sharply. Watching his friend turn away, he sighed sympathetically and, approaching Remus from behind, patted him on the back kindheartedly and warmly told him, "Remus, I'd give anything- _anything_- to see you escorting Eve to the ball instead of me, just to see you happy. I didn't ask her to be cruel to you or to spite you, but you need to understand that you need to take the things in life that you want before someone else snatches them up and not let your 'furry little problem' get in the way. Besides," he smiled lightly at him, "at least it's me and not someone else, right? Someone you don't know, I mean."

Remus's brown eyes narrowed possessively and he slowly turned to face Sirius. For a moment, the handsome Marauder was almost certain that he'd seen the wolf throwing back his head in them, howling to the moon to claim what was his. "I should be happy she's being escorted by _you_, should I?" He inquired. Please, he'd rather it be someone else, someone who wasn't known for putting his hands on any girl his age he could find.

"Sirius, allow me to make something quite plain," Remus began as he straightened his friend's collar innocently enough.

_Oof!_

Remus pinned Sirius tightly against the wall, portions of the shirt folded into his fists. "If you so much as _think_ about compromising that girl's virtue tonight, know this; my wolf gets angry _very_ easily, and he _isn't_ afraid of showing it."

Sirius's blue eyes widened, and he gaped at his friend. He never joked about his other side, _ever_. The fact that he did so _while_ he was looking a bit unlike himself at the moment made his survival instincts urge him to take caution when dealing with the angry werewolf.

"No, of course not, mate. I promise I won't take her to bed. I wouldn't do something like _that_ to you," Sirius replied hastily, gently prying his friend's hands off his collar.

Remus fluttered his eyes and shook his head, looking as though he were returning from a trance. When he realized that he was gripping his friend's shirt, he immediately released him and backed off a little, murmuring, "Sorry, mate… I don't know what came over me… I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's my fault, I shouldn't have upset you, mate. Don't worry about it." Sirius half smiled at his fellow Gryffindor before patting him on the shoulder once more and slowly returning to his mirror.

A thick silence blanketed the two as they spent some time perfecting their costumes. To shatter the unbearable quiet, Remus asked after a couple minutes had passed, "By the way, what are _you_ supposed to be?" Sirius only had dress robes on, and wasn't making a move to add on any extra costume pieces.

"Why, the handsomest man in the universe-" he replied cheekily, combing a hand through his wavy hair before flipping it around, "_me_."

Remus rolled his eyes as James stepped out from the bathroom with deep, grass green robes and a cape on, and a bright gold crown shining atop his head. He was grinning like an idiot and, before he could gush for the millionth time that day about how perfect this ball was going to be with Lily on his arm, Remus thumbed at the door and said to the two, "I'm going to check on who's downstairs."

He quickly slipped from the room and walked down half the steps that descended from the boys' dormitories so he could view who was in the common room without being seen.

Eve was standing before the fire, so all he could see was her profile, but it was enough to make his heart begin beating rapidly against the underside of his ribcage, like a drummer's hands on a bongo. He couldn't see from his perch exactly what she was dressed as, but all he needed to know was that she looked stunning in the cherry-hue that caressed her frame. And was… was that a _corset_? Oh, Merlin, was she _trying_ to torture him? He could only imagine the torment he'd undergo when he finally saw her up close.

His ogling was cut short when she grabbed frantically at her hair- which, he couldn't help but notice, was let free for the first time in a long while- and hurried away, as if she'd forgotten some last-minute addition to her costume and wanted to retrieve it from the girls' dormitory. The stunned wizard stayed put for a moment before turning and stumbling back up the stairs.

When he re-entered the boys' dormitory, his face was red hot, and the chances of a cold front sweeping in anytime soon were zip to zilch. He fumbled by his bed, beneath which he kept his sketchbook hidden safely away from prying eyes, as his friends had looked through it for their amusement and his embarrassment. He wanted to draw 

her; he _needed_ to draw her as she was, right at that moment when she gazed into the fire in her breathtaking costume.

"-So then, guess what she said to me after I asked her to the ball? Go on, guess," James retold for what seemed like the billionth time that day. His hands on his hips, he grinned proudly as he waited for Sirius's answer.

Remus dipped his quill into the inkwell and began lightly outlining her body, immortalizing her onto the page as if it were a muggle photograph being taken of her and not a picture being drawn. He could feel his face become even more of an inferno as he imprinted the corset and skirt onto her frame and allowed her hair to flirt wildly with her shoulders. At that moment, he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to bury his face into the jungle of curls atop her head and feel his nose be tickled by the feel and scent of her hair.

In order to get out of the monotonous conversation he'd heard all day from his excited best mate, Sirius turned to Remus and inquired, "So, did you actually ask someone to the ball in Eve's place, or…?"

As his quill slid along the page, mapping out his Eve's features into the parchment of his drawing book, Remus smiled knowingly to himself, as the answer to that question would have to wait until he could concentrate on the expressions that would adorn his friend's face.

"Don't worry, you'll find out in due time, Sirius. And, dare I say, I'm certain you'll be positively stunned at the girl I convinced to attend the ball with me."

**Author's Note:** I know that the first showing of _The Phantom of the Opera_ on stage wasn't until 1986, but, for symbolic purposes, I made it over a decade prior in the fanfiction.

Yeah, I was going to write this as one long chapter, but I decided to divide it up, since I thought it'd be more fun with the cliffhangers. **Please remember to read and review!**


	12. Envy's Dance: Part Two

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Hello, again, everybody! Before I begin, I'd like to thank those who have reviewed on a consistent basis. On that note, I must also say that **I'm disappointed** in the **low review count** this week. I put a lot of effort and time into this fanfiction and don't see where the trouble is in my readers reviewing it. So, please, **review this fanfiction** because I now have over **three thousand hits** to it and **only forty-four reviews** to show for it. I'd be happy as a clam if the **review count** **could climb up to a high number** **per chapter on a consistent basis** since I have **plenty of people who have favorited and alerted this fanfiction**. Thank you all for your understanding and support.

Just to let everyone know, **this fanfiction may or may not be updated again until Sunday, April 13, 2008.** My schedule this week is exceptionally busy, and I may or may not have the time to write up another chapter until then. Thank you for your understanding.

**Publish Date: **Sunday, March 30, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Twelve: Envy's Dance: Part Two

By the time Remus had drawn the last curl of hair twirling from Eve's head, Sirius was finished fiddling with his so-called "costume."

"Alright, men, let's move out!" Sirius commanded as Remus shut his sketchbook and pressed it to his heart affectionately. "We've got some lovely birds waitin' on us to escort them down to- Oi, what's that you've got there, mate?"

As Sirius crossed the floor to lead the trio down into the common room, he'd caught sight of the drawing book Remus had recently shut.

With a knowing grin, Sirius inquired, "You saw her downstairs, didn't you, mate?"

Before the addressed wizard could even begin to open his mouth, Peter barged in so fast that he was just one blushing blur thundering to the bathroom as he blurted, "I know I'm late… Was with Narcissa… Go on without me… I'll be down in a little… I've got to change."

Sirius shook his head like a dog trying to rid itself of excess water matting down its fur. "Ugh, what the bloody hell does he _see_ in her?"

"I dunno," James replied with a sly smirk, "maybe he sees a little of you in her. Who knows? He may have a thing for the Black family in general." Fixing the clasp at his throat, he mused mischievously, "Could you imagine him at one of your family reunions?"

Just as Sirius was about to start a brawl with his best friend, Remus walked through the two and to the door. "Are you guys coming, or what?"

James, suddenly remembering the ginger-haired beauty he'd have on his arm for the ball, beamed brightly and excitedly agreed, "Let's go!"

The three wizards descended the stairs one by one, but James shoved his way between his friends when a flash of vibrant red-orange caught his eyes.

"Lily," he breathed in awe as his date turned toward him and flashed him the smile that made him feel like he was walking on clouds. Taking her petite hands in his and pressing a longing smooch to them, he told her sincerely, "You look too stunning for words. Really, you do."

Lily blushed and her smile widened in happiness as she replied, "Aw, thanks, James." James felt his heart perform a back flip when she called him by his first name instead of his surname. That had to be progress, right? "You look pretty sharp, yourself." With that, she rose from her seat on the couch and pressed a kiss to her date's cheek, causing James's grin to brighten exponentially. He could definitely get used to this!

"You really _do_ look lovely, Lily," Remus politely offered with a small smile to his friend.

"Yeah, I may just have to steal you away when Prongs isn't looking," Sirius added with a grin and a playful wink to show he was only teasing.

Lily threw back her head and laughed while James drew her closer, feigning possessiveness. "Well, thank you both."

Remus didn't hear this, however, as his attention had been caught by a striking Eve as she carefully made her way down the stairs while she fidgeted with securing a scarlet rose into her hair. She had looked beautiful when he had snatched a glimpse of her from the side, but from the front, she was…

"_Captivating_," Remus breathed inaudibly to himself.

Eve stopped at the fourth step from the bottom, as she was obviously becoming a bit distracted with her floral hair clip (she hadn't even spotted the handsome wizard gaping at her!), and she muttered in frustration to it, "Just stay _in!_" This time, when she removed her hand from the rose, it remained perched above her ear where it was supposed to be.

It was then her eyes met Remus's, and she felt her pulse race rapidly through her veins, like a herd of wild unicorns stampeding through the Forbidden Forest.

Slowly descending the last of the stairs, Eve cautiously approached her friend and project partner, smoothing out her dress nervously.

"Wow, Remus, great minds certainly think alike," she began as she noticed the half mask attached to his face. "I like _The Phantom of the Opera_, too. Though, I must admit," she couldn't help but slightly flirt, "you are _far_ more handsome in that mask than Erik is."

Remus felt a slight blush heat up his cheeks as he chuckled and teased, "Well, I don't know whether or not to be offended; he isn't a particularly good-looking bloke to begin with."

Eve chuckled and shook her head before amending, "No, I mean… you make a very attractive Phantom." Her eyes raked down his old-fashioned costume and she decided that she quite liked seeing him in such a garb. Plus, his cape was billowy, which scored major points as far as she was concerned. "You look very handsome tonight, Remus," Eve quietly told him. She smiled warmly and gushed, "I can't believe we actually dressed to the same theme!" Remus smiled at her. "I didn't know you were a fan of _The Phantom of the Opera_! It's almost as if _we_ were supposed… to… attend… the ball… together…" She'd realized she'd stepped in it just then, and suddenly fell quiet as the awkward silence suffocated the two, chipped at only by the murmured conversation of James, Lily, and Sirius.

"You make a striking Christine," Remus shattered the hovering silence, and continued, "I mean, that is, Christine is known for her beauty, but you look _gorgeous_."

Eve's face turned such a deep maroon, it rivaled that of the shade of her gown. Tugging modestly at a curl, she inquired, "O-Oh, really? You think so?"

Remus actually felt startled as it occurred to him that Eve was surprised at the compliment. Her eyebrows had hopped high enough up her forehead to blend into her hairline, and her lips were slightly pared, as if she were silently questioning his idea of beauty.

"Of course I do; I _know_ so," Remus told her before slowly tucking an unruly curl securely behind her ear. Now that her long hair was out of the way, he caught a very mouth-watering peek of cleavage. Sometimes he really wished the school would do away with the uniforms and allow students to wear their own clothes…

Before he could gape at the entrancing sight for too long, however, Sirius stepped between the pair, and, pulling Eve's dainty hand into his own, bowed and placed a smooch to it before telling her, "Eve, you look _phenomenal_. I'm honored to escort you to the Halloween Ball."

Remus watched as Eve's features shifted once more to accommodate a look of surprise at the accolade.

"Thank you, Sirius," Eve shyly murmured.

Sirius reached into his cloak while telling Eve, "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of purchasing you a corsage." He withdrew it from his pocket and presented it to her. The blossom of the rose was a cheerful yellow surrounded by baby's breath and tiny white blooms.

"May I?" He asked innocently enough. Eve nodded before Sirius stepped forward and, with a mischievous glance at Remus that said 'you'd be the one doing this right now if you asked to be her escort,' pulled up a bit of the fabric on her chest so it was at a more appropriate height for him and began attempting to pin the corsage onto it.

Remus thought his veins were going to burst from how hard his blood was pushing through them. Sirius was certainly taking his sweet time with securing the bloody pin to the front of her dress. Eve really didn't seem to take notice, since she was looking off at the fire as it snapped and popped by the hearth.

Finally, he finished his task and smiled at her before declaring, "You look divine."

She smiled shyly and told him, "Thank you for the corsage; it's lovely."

Sirius smirked as he heard the faint murmur of his envious mate mocking the two of them in disgust before James spoke up.

"Are we going to go, or not?" He settled his arm around his date's waist and looked pointedly toward the entrance of the common room, resembling a puppy who wanted to be let outside to romp and frolic in the sun.

Sirius offered his arm up to the witch beside him and inquired, "Shall we?"

Eve smiled and curtsied in return before looping her arm through his and replying, "We shall."

Once their little caravan had pushed through the portrait opening, Remus stepped off to the opposite side as the others, and, as he began walking away, he called to his friends, "You all go on ahead; I'll catch up. I have to pick up my date for the evening."

Eve furrowed her eyebrows and turned her head to look back at the retreating frame of her friend. Sirius pressed a hand to her waist and led her down the staircases until they arrived at the ball.

A sea of twirling skirts bloomed before the four, and, upon seeing his beautiful witch's face light up, James held out his hand to Lily and inquired, "Queen Lily, would you care to dance?"

Lily giggled her approval, and walked out with him to the dance floor, where he put a hand to her waist and held her hand in his to waltz with her around the dance floor.

Sirius smiled at Eve asked her, "May I fetch you something to drink, Eve?"

She nodded and replied, "Yes, please; some water would be lovely."

He bobbed his head and left her to pour some water at the snack table set up for the students. While she waited, she lightly wrung her hands and watched the others dance. The colors of the dresses swirling around on the dance floor were astounding to her, as the sea green, blushing violet, envious jade, and content yellow dresses swept among one another, complementing the surrounding hues.

She glanced over at the snack table and caught sight of her escort pouring a goblet of water. Swallowing, she began pondering why he'd asked her to attend the ball with him. After all, they scarcely knew each other! She didn't fancy him, and, boy, would that be an awkward conversation to have if he had a thing for her! Besides, she knew he liked Anna, but maybe he had a tiny crush on both of them? This was so confusing… Why did he ask her to attend the ball with him?

_Maybe he needed a back up if Anna didn't come with him,_ she mused to herself. That thought, oddly enough, was amusing to her, and she caught herself giggling before as Sirius made his way back to her.

"Here you are, m'lady," Sirius said to her quietly with a small grin. Eve smiled back and took the chalice and raised it to her lips. Just as she drew in a gulp of water, she found Remus and waved at him so he'd know where they were. He waved back and, through the crowd, Eve saw a flip of blonde hair, making her choke on her water. Anna was wearing a long, simple white gown, and she'd made her hair stand out in a frizzy mess. Her skin had been powdered to be pale, and her lips had been painted a deep red with lipstick. She was a banshee.

"A… A… _Anna?_" Eve inquired as she took in her friend's hand lightly stroking Remus's arm. "I thought… I thought you said… But…"

Sirius's jaw had, for a moment, looked as though it were about to clatter to the floor any second, but he regained composure and asked in a dignified manner, "So, Anna, what happened with Eric… er… Meric… um…"

"Derek?"

"Yes, Derek, thank you."

"Well, a better offer came along," she giggled as her eyes flashed up to Remus, who grinned and held her closer in return. She made a show of lightly snuggling up to him, as she knew Eve had a notorious jealous streak to her nature that she couldn't help but fall victim to when provoked. With that, Remus gave Anna a peck to the top of her head.

Eve could practically feel the steam shooting out of her ears as her inner green-eyed monster reared back its ugly head and roared. Ohhhhh, did Anna ever know how to push her buttons! That was what was so dangerous about best friends; if there were ever a fight between them, one would know how to play to the other's weaknesses.

It then occurred to Eve that what Anna was currently doing to Remus- the small, cutesy cuddling bit- was the very thing that had set him off on an angry rant to her in the library when she was trying to figure out whether or not he fancied her. Maybe… Maybe Anna _wasn't_ pretending… And maybe Remus _did_ fancy Anna.

She could feel the green monster slowly retreat until a small puddle of self-pity was left for the moment. Swallowing her pride, as well as her emotions, she said to the two, "Well… I hope you two have a great time and that everything works out… really." It was always the pretty ones with the blonde hair who got the guy, but Eve didn't see why it couldn't be someone like her for once. She knew her appearance wasn't even a comparison to Anna's, as her features looked as if they were better thought out, whereas Eve's… well… Eve didn't think she stood a chance next to Anna.

Anna and Remus were both surprised- and not in a good way- when Eve wished them well. Well, they certainly weren't about to court each other, that was for bloody sure! Obviously, they'd have to step it up a bit to get their respective crushes to cave in and ask for them back.

Sirius, in the meantime, had figured out that Remus was only doing this to get back at him for asking Eve to the ball. However, what he couldn't put his finger on what it was that Anna was doing; honestly, the girl was acting as if she'd fancied him for as long as Eve had!

Delivering a knowing wink Remus's way, Sirius tugged on Eve' hand and inquired, "Would you like to dance?"

Eve smiled and nodded before being led out to the floor with her date. The two began to waltz together smoothly and, unbeknownst to them, the other couple watched and plotted.

"I thought you said you could make her jealous?" Remus inquired.

"I should be asking the same of you… except with Sirius," Anna replied sharply.

Jaw set, Remus pleaded, "Please tell me that's not all you have?"

"Oh, no, I'm only getting started, Remus. How's this?"

While one couple was scheming and the other waltzing, one Severus Snape, dressed completely in black with a silver mask covering his face (but not his trademark greasy hair, which was a dead giveaway as to who he was), caught the enthralling sight of one Lily Evans, and the particularly nauseating sight of one James Potter dancing with her. Well, this certainly wouldn't do! He had to do _something_ to get her upset with that arrogant, messy-haired, snitch-catching bugger!

With a set smirk on his face, the Slytherin stalked up to the couple when their foreheads pressed against one another's and their eyes shut in content. With lightning speed, he brought his hand up and gave her bum a nice squeeze before bolting out. Oh, yes! Success! And, _blimey_ did she have a nice rear!

Lily's eyes popped open and she glared at James. "JAMES POTTER! HOW _DARE_ YOU!" She slapped him once across the face and strutted off, and the stunned wizard gaped at her for a moment before following after her.

"Wait, what did I do? Lily!" James pleaded. Severus chuckled before reliving the moment his hand made contact with her backside. Ooh, that was a memory for the pensieve, for sure!

Remus, nodding his head at her ideas, replied, "Ooh, those are good! Let me tell you some of mine."

As he spoke to Anna, James had lost sight of Lily in the crowd, and went looking for the one who'd done whatever it was that startled Lily. He saw Severus looking at him with a smug grin on his face and automatically assumed it was him. Drawing his wand, he crossed the floor toward the Slytherin and, just before Severus could draw his wand 

out to defend himself, his opponent had already shouted a spell, and a pink stream of magic hit him like a wave, knocking him to the ground. By the time he'd scrambled to his feet, he realized that, in place of his dress robes, a pink gown now cascaded from his shoulders to the floor. Others around him pointed and laughed and, blushing to a pink that equaled the hue of the dress, he hurried out of the ball to hide away in the Slytherin rooms.

"Brilliant, Remus," Anna complimented. Rubbing her hands together, she decided while leading her escort out to the dance floor, "Alright, let's get to work. Follow me."

**Author's Note:** Please remember to leave a review! Thanks!


	13. Envy's Dance: Part Three

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to all those who reviewed for the last chapter, and I'd like to take the time to welcome all new readers to the journey Remus and Eve are currently taking. Please remember to **read and review!** Thanks!

**Publish Date: **Sunday, April 13, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Thirteen: Envy's Dance: Part Three

"Remember," Remus reminded Anna after taking her hand and leading her out to the dance floor, "we need to be subtle, but look like we mean it; otherwise, Sirius will know I only brought you to spite him and to make Eve jealous."

"Alright, subtle, but believable, gotchya," Anna replied. Remus set a hand to her waist and, when their hands clasped together at their sides, he began to lead her in a relatively smooth waltz. "Remus, I know this has to work; Eve has a _ridiculously_ green envy streak to her. She tries to hide it, but, if you push her far enough, she can't help but succumb to it."

Remus twirled the blonde beneath his long arm before circulating the floor with her, waltzing between other turning couples. Nodding, he replied, "And Sirius is _very_ protective over what he deems to be 'his'." Anna beamed at this as they closed in on the other couple.

"-And Remus, Merlin bless his soul, actually _tutored_ the third-year in Defense Against the Dark Arts for the rest of the year, and the young wizard- Jeremy, I believe his name was- got the highest marks in that class of his year," Sirius told Eve proudly as he dipped her low.

After being pulled back to her date to fall back into the waltz's step with him, she smiled widely, and replied, "Aw, that's so sweet of him. It's great that Remus feels so passionate about a subject."

"And he's brilliant at it, too!" Sirius complimented of his mate. Just because he attended the ball with her, didn't meant he wouldn't put in a few good words for the wizard who fancied her.

Eve grinned, and Sirius found the endearing scrunch in her nose that he often caught Remus drawing in. He had to hand it to his mate; he truly had an eye for even the most minute of details. That, and it really was a sweet characteristic she had.

"You're a very charming girl, Eve," he told her before twirling her once under the arch of his arm.

"Ooh, _Remus!_" Eve heard Anna's distinctive, flirtatious giggle. "You dance so _smooooothly!_" Remus spun her before dipping the witch so deeply, it was a wonder they both stayed up at the low angle. The wizard's face closed in on the blonde's, and, for a moment, both Eve and Sirius held their breath at what they thought was going to end up becoming a passionate kiss. The pair drew in a lungful of healing oxygen after Anna and Remus righted themselves and began twirling again.

"Well," Sirius began with a, for once, forced smile, "who knew Moony could cut a rug like that, eh?" Eve gave him a slightly awkward look that tried to be polite enough to agree, but also showed what she'd felt during the intimate moment their friends had shared. Furrowing his eyebrows, Sirius asked, "Something wrong?"

Eve shook her head before swallowing and saying, "No, uh… No. I think I… I just need something to drink, that's all."

Sirius nodded and, with a gentle smile, stroked the underside of her jaw with his thumb before pressing a kiss to the back of her hand and saying, "Well, then, let's go quench that thirst of yours, shall we?"

With that, he settled his hand on the small of her back and guided her over to the refreshment stand set up for the students to partake in. He, being the phenomenal gentleman he was, poured her a cup of punch and handed it to her before serving himself a goblet. Raising his chalice to hers, he murmured, "Cheers," and, when they clinked together, he winked at her and toasted, "to a wonderful evening."

Eve smiled at her escort and, after taking a few dainty sips of the sweet liquid, told him, "I'm having a lovely time, thank you, Sirius." She lightly rested her hand at the curve that resided between his neck and shoulder to further show her appreciation.

"Oh, not at all, Eve; you're a delight. I'm glad you found it in you to turn down the scads of offers I'm sure you received to attend the ball with me," Sirius replied with his trademark, heart-warming grin.

Anna and Remus, feathers ruffled that their plans seemed futile, took time to reorganize their game plan in a corner of the Great Hall.

"How about we just go for it and kiss?" Anna asked as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

Remus sighed and rubbed his temples. He really didn't want to stoop that low, but if the situation called for it… He glanced over at the refreshment table and caught sight and Sirius and Eve, looking undeterred from all he and Anna had put them through that night. Suddently, realization dawned on him.

"Of course!" He snapped his fingers. "What makes something you long for irresistible?"

Anna arched an eyebrow, thinking that the question was hypothetical, but when her escort didn't continue, she waved her arms in the air exasperatedly and said, "I give up! What is it?"

"If you have it, first." Remus gazed at the other couple as if they were canaries, and he was the hungry cat. "We'll switch partners for a dance, and _only_ one dance, and then we'll switch back. That ought to sink the hook into the mermaid's mouth, so to speak."

Anna's face wrinkled in as if she'd just smelled something most foul, and she said, "Ew, why would _anyone_ want to put a hook into a mermaid's mouth? It's so cruel!"

Remus rolled his eyes and murmured, "Come along," as he took Anna's hand and led her to their targeted couple.

Of course, as luck would have it, who else should be seeking refreshment, but Derek and his date, Cynthia?

"Ah, Anna," the little two-timer purred easily to Anna. With a grin, Derek pulled Cynthia, who was dressed in a simple periwinkle gown, around, as if she were a piece of breathtaking jewelry that he wanted to show off to make other jealous. "You're looking… _lovely_ this evening." His eyes swept down Anna's body, causing the girl on his arm to cross her arms and harrumph unappreciatively.

"Shove off, Gotter," Anna demanded, catching Eve's and Sirius's attention, as she cuddled up to Remus. "I found someone far better than you to attend with this evening, and we're having a _marvelous_ time." Without waiting for a response from her former crush, she turned her back on him to face Eve and exclaim, "Eve, darling! I hope you're having as wonderful a time as we are! Remus and I can't _believe_ we didn't attend a dance together before this." Turning to Remus, she batted her eyelashes up at him and sweetly said, "We'll have to do this more often in the future!"

Eve felt her heartbeat race at this. Who was her friend to try to steal the boy _she_ fancied just for spite? It wasn't as if she went with Sirius just to upset her; no, _he'd_ asked _her_ and she politely accepted the offer because her friend had arranged to attend the ball with another wizard. Her so-called 'best friend' seemed to be relishing this, taking Remus to the ball because she, too, must fancy him, and also to show that she'd one-upped the Gryffindor witch. This wasn't fair to her in the least!

"Yes, we are, of course, having a lovely time together, thank you," Eve said, reaching down to slide her hand into Sirius's.

Remus grinned down at Anna and said, "In honor of friendship, Anna and I would like to trade partners for this next song." Offering his arm to Eve, he gazed into her stormy eyes and inquired lightly, "If I may?"

Eve's eyes tilted hesitantly toward Sirius's, as if she wasn't sure if she wanted him to allow or prohibit such a thing. Sirius, however, smiled good-naturedly and, his eyes focused on his blonde beauty, replied, "An excellent idea, as always, Moony. Shall we, m'lady?"

Anna giggled and curtsied before Sirius wrapped an arm around her and swept her away into the knots of students dancing together.

Turning back to her friend- and, oh, how she wished she could up the status of that word to 'boyfriend'!- Eve curtsied and, smiling sincerely, said, "I'd be honored to share a dance with you, Remus." She linked her arm through his and allowed him to pull her out onto the dance floor.

Remus could hear his heart in his ears and, as the next song began, he woefully reminded himself that he had a meager five minutes with her before he had to return her to her escort. He took up her right hand in his left hand and slid his right hand down the delicious curve of her torso before resting it on her hip. When she'd planted her left hand on his shoulder, he began the waltz, making certain that every step was even and smooth, and that every twirl made her skirts curl a bit higher on her bronze legs, and that every dip was deep and pleasant for her. He was, in that moment, dancing everything he felt for her, and the preciseness that he danced with surprised even himself.

As Eve was being led around the dance floor in such an elegant manner that lit her senses on fire, she couldn't help but notice the exceptionally intense gaze that he looked down at her with. Goosebumps rippled up her arms under his hot look, and she found herself blushing self-consciously.

Remus, finally finding his voice, told her honestly, "I meant what I said before, Eve; you're gorgeous in this dress… very striking."

Eve lowered her eyes timidly to the ground beneath them as she murmured a modest, "Thank you."

Remus, with a slight frown, lifted his hand from her waist and used it to tilt her chin upward so their eyes met. "You know," he told her with a teasing grin, "it isn't a sin to look at me when I'm complimenting you."

Eve's shy eyes scanned his friendly ones, and, with a light blush, she replied quickly, as if scared that she'd actually offended him, "I'm sorry! It's just… I'm not used to… you know… being told that a lot, and all…"

Remus's brows knitted together at her confession. How could that be? Who in their right mind _wouldn't_ tell this young woman that she was beautiful?

"No, no," he told her gently, "you needn't apologize; I was merely pointing it out, that's all."

He dipped her so deeply then that when he brought her back up, the blood rushing from her brain made her feel a little light-headed, and she had to clutch onto his shoulders for support.

"You alright, Eve?" He inquired concernedly, reaching up to caress her cheek.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine… just a tad dizzy, that's all," Eve explained breathlessly as she steadied herself against him. She swayed forward to the point where her forehead was resting against his as he tried to regain her composure.

"Shh, it's alright, just breathe slowly and deeply; in through the nose, out through the mouth, like this." Remus went through a couple rounds of showing her how it was done, though he figured she already knew this since she was training to be a Healer, and he couldn't help but smell the light scent of lilacs wafting from her hair. _It must be her shampoo,_ he thought, and he was soon repeating the breathing exercises just to catch whiffs of the wonderful aroma, as it was so completely her. He admitted it, he had a weakness for feminine scents on girls, and this one especially so, because it was Eve's.

Before he even realized it, the touch between them spread from their foreheads down the arches of their noses, and he could almost _taste_ Eve's sweet, fruity breath as it fanned his lips and their mouths closed in…

"Ahem," Remus heard his fellow Marauder clear his throat and felt him tap him on the shoulder, causing him to pull away from Eve. The werewolf turned to find Sirius with a happy Anna on his arm. Remembering the arrangement, Remus quickly pulled away from Eve as Sirius said, "The song is over, so I I'll take my date back, if you don't mind."

Remus nodded politely and, rubbing the back of Eve's hand with his thumb, said to her, "It was fun, Eve. You dance beautifully," before returning her to her respective date and receiving his blonde witch in return.

"Come, Eve," Sirius said while smooching the back of her hand, "the fast songs have started, and all the younger students have scurried off to bed; I believe gyrating is in order." This earned a chuckle and a roll of the eyes from her and, after giving Remus a longing look, she wrapped her arms around Sirius's neck and began dancing with him, giggling whenever he leaned down to whisper something into her ear.

"Um, Anna and I are… going to go… get some more refreshment, then," Remus said, sweeping Anna quickly off to the stand of goodies, leaving Sirius and Eve longing for their respective crushes.

"I must confess, I… I'm at a bit of a loss as for what to do, now," Remus admitted to Anna once they'd reached the safety of the snack table.

"What? The great Marauder has used up the last of his ideas?" Anna inquired in mock horror as she placed a hand to her mouth and widened her eyes.

"Oh, don't say it like that; my ideas usually just… come… to… me…" Remus slowed down as Peter, dressed in a mask and dress robes, like him, and Narcissa, dressed in a white gown like Anna, hurried by, snogging as if there were no tomorrow, and making for a private corner of the Great Hall.

"Hey! She copied my dress! Stupid Slytherin," Anna pouted and folded her arms across her chest.

"Anna, down!" Remus said, forcing her to kneel with him behind the refreshment stand. "Look, they're dressed like us, and, in the semi-dark, it will look as if-"

"-_we're_ the ones who are snogging!" Anna exclaimed excitedly. "Oh, this is brilliant!" She giggled, clapping her hands together twice before rubbing them together.

Remus peeked up over the table to see if Sirius and Eve had caught sight of the snogging couple. It looked as if they had, as they were both gaping in shock. "They found 'em," he told Anna triumphantly.

"Ooh, let _me_ look!" Anna pleaded before popping her head up to gaze out at the two. "Ha! Do you see the looks on their faces? Priceless!"

Remus watched and Sirius said something to Eve and began leading her out of the Great Hall. With a very Marauder-esque grin, he said to Anna, "That's it; they're jealous. Here, I'll walk you back to your common room and then hurry to the Gryffindor common room to see what they have to say and then tell you tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Anna agreed before being led away from the ball to her common room.

Remus strutted back to his respective common room, smirking his mischievous smirk all the while and looking forward to seeing what Sirius and Eve were doing in regards to their little plot of jealousy.

When he stepped through the portrait, he pulled off his mask and smoothed his hair back. Walking past the fireplace, he was surprised that the two weren't on the couch discussing what had taken place that evening, and so continued on his way to the boys' dormitories, figuring that they'd parted ways to retire.

He found Sirius on the second step leading into the boys' dormitories, whispering into Eve's ear, who was standing on the floor before the staircase. Remus kept discreetly to the shadows and watched as Eve nibbled on her lower lip before nodding her head and slowly ascending the stairs with him.

**Author's Note:** Please keep reading; I promise you won't regret it! **Please leave a review!**


	14. Truths Revealed

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** I forgot to mention in my last update that one week after my twelfth chapter was posted, the hits number shot up from three thousand to four thousand; that's one thousand hits in one week, a new record for this fanfiction. Thanks, everyone!

_**About the companion piece: **_I am _hoping_ to have the first chapter posted Sunday, May 4, 2008, though this isn't a definite date. It won't be updated on a scheduled basis, just when I get a good idea to add to it, as it'll just be a composition of glimpses into Remus's and Eve's time at preschool together. **If you have any ideas for it (rated K, no exceptions), please tell me in your reviews;** I'd love to hear them!

Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing; you don't know how much it encourages me to continue writing this fanfiction. To those who are reading and _not_ reviewing, please take the twenty seconds needed to leave a comment; it'll really make my day!

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Fourteen: Truths Revealed

Remus watched with a heavy heart as Eve was whisked away to the boys' dormitories with the most handsome of the Marauders. He gripped a ceiling-supporting pillar so harshly, he was surprised that, even though it was massive, it didn't snap in half with the force of his fury.

With a swirl of his cloak, he stormed out of the common room, giving the portrait of the fat lady such a brutal shove that she shrieked, "Hey!" in protest as she clattered against the wall.

His feet stomped against the ground to the rapid beat of his heart, and his eyes darted around the corridors as he reached his destination.

Slamming the door to the boys' lavatory shut behind him, Remus paced the length of the stalls, panting, crimson-faced, and enraged, before kicking a door in as he recalled a prior conversation he'd had with, who he thought was, one of his best friends.

"_If you so much as _think_ about compromising that girl's virtue tonight, know this; my wolf gets angry _very_ easily, and he _isn't_ afraid of showing it." He had very clearly warned Sirius, even going so far as to drive home his point by shoving him into the cold wall and glaring him down._

Breathing heavy, shallow breaths, the reddening werewolf approached the sink before slumping over it and holding onto the edges so tightly that his knuckles paled. A blur of memories and self-created fabrications of what he was sure to happen very, _very_ soon in the boys' dormitory bled together in his mind, muddying his distinction between fact and fib.

_Remus saw his hands pull away from Sirius's collar then, only they were the smaller, more delicate hands of Eve as she nervously unbuttoned the raven-haired Marauder's shirt. His mind's eye then teased him with a glimpse of _

_Sirius's skilled fingers yanking the strings through the eyes at the back of Eve's corset, the pale skin along her spine warming to his touch._

The wizard nearly gagged as the illusions spread from one sense to another, like fire blown from a dragon's mouth, until not only did he see the scarring images of the pair in his head, but tasted the sweet kisses Eve shared with Sirius, heard her soft coos to him, smelled the witch's lilac scent as it mixed demonically with Sirius's spicy cologne, and felt her warm breath tickle his ear.

Practically tasting the vile bile in his mouth as he relived the moment Eve consented to follow Sirius upstairs into the boys' dormitory, Remus lifted his head, which felt too heavy for his neck. Gazing into the mirror above the sink, he saw not a boy in his happy adolescent years, ready to begin life, but a wizard, aged beyond his time, who was distraught by the circumstances that surrounded him: a best mate who was about to seduce the first girl he'd felt something toward in a _long_ time.

This thought only caused a dull throb to beat against his temples, and he found that his tear-swollen eyes lacked their usual luster as they glinted pink in the dim bathroom light.

A solitary tear escaped his eye and tumbled down his cheek before he dropped his head, no longer wishing to look at his pitiful reflection as he released a sob. "Oh, Eve!"

.x:X:x.

Sirius gently guided Eve up the stairs and, once in the boys' dormitory, shut the door behind them. Taking her hand once more, he led her to a bed toward the middle of the room and reached up to pull the rumpled blankets down to the foot of the bed.

"Sorry, Eve, you'll have to excuse us; us guys don't exactly take the time to make our beds," Sirius said with a wink as he helped her up onto the bed.

Eve smiled softly to herself and shook her head. "No worries, Sirius; I'm not nearly so picky as to get upset over something as trivial as this." Once she had taken a seat on the mattress, she smoothed her skirt over her knees and worried her plump lower lip between her top and bottom rows of teeth. When her hands busied themselves with one another, she asked, "Sirius, are you sure about this?"

The Marauder tugged at the strings of his cloak and allowed it to slide off his body. A flick of his wand later, and it was neatly stored away in his dresser. Smiling down at the girl, he lifted up her chin and assured her, "Yes. I'm positive." He untied the tie around his throat and undid the top button for comfort as he kneeled on the floor and began searching beneath the bed. "Believe me, Eve, you're going to want to see this."

Eve watched as Sirius pulled back out from under the four-poster and brought with him a large book of some sort. She furrowed her eyebrows as he took a seat next to her on the mattress and said, "This would be Moony's bed that we're sitting on right now. And _this_," he waved the book around, "is his sketchbook. Here, take a gander at it."

Lifting an eyebrow, Eve felt suspicion prickle the back of her mind as she inquired, "Now, wait a minute, Sirius; won't Remus be upset with us for poking into his possessions?" She certainly didn't want to upset the young gentleman she had a fancy for, that was for bloody sure!

"We'll have to make sure he doesn't find out, then," Sirius replied with a mischievous wink. "In the meantime, it couldn't hurt to take a peek, could it?" He teased.

Eve felt unsure of herself, as she knew she wanted to see what was in that drawing book of Remus's that Sirius deemed important for her to see, but, then again, she didn't want to invade the wizard's privacy.

Off her uncertain look, Sirius shook his head and insisted, "Believe me, Eve, you're going to discover what's in this book one way or another, whether you like it or not. Even if it's not me who shows you, it'll either be Prongs or Wormtail, or Moony, himself. If you're going to see it eventually, you may as well see it now, right?"

_How on earth did they come up with such goofy nicknames for one another? Honestly…_ She thought to herself as she eyed the sketchbook. _Well,_ she thought to herself firmly, _he _is_ right; I probably _will_ see what's in there sometime. After all, Remus is _always_ dragging this thing around, especially since he's creating sketches for our project…_

Her gray eyes meeting his clear blue ones, Eve nodded and reached out to pull the book into her hands. It felt weightier than it looked, as if it were an illusion of some kind, but she attributed that to the thick, hard cover that had random patterns etched into it, which felt uneven beneath her fingertips.

Turning it over in her lap, she felt about the neckline of her dress for her glasses folded into it, causing Sirius to arch a brow at the odd motion. When she remembered that she hadn't put her reading glasses there, she held out a hand and muttered, "Accio glasses," and had them hugging her face a minute later.

She felt a low rumble resonate from beside her, and turned to squint her eyes confusedly at Sirius, who was chuckling amusedly. "You know, I've heard Moony go on about how cute you look with your little reading glasses, but I thought he was just saying that. He really meant it; they _are_ adorable on your face."

Blushing, Eve turned her head back down to gaze at the open sketchbook, shoving thoughts of her father's cruel words spoken to her years ago back into the dark corners of her mind. "Thank you," she replied as she flipped through the pages. At first, the sketches were of random objects, like a quill or a textbook, and then they progressed to- what she assumed was- the Marauders' pets that they kept at Hogwarts. Several page turns later, and she found herself staring face-to-face with Remus's friends, grinning brightly up at her. Remus had done such a marvelous job capturing the cheer and joy of the moment that she was expecting to hear jovial laughter leap off the page any moment.

"He draws so beautifully, Sirius. You and the rest of his friends must take it as such a compliment to play muses to his artist," Eve told him with an honest smile.

Sirius smiled warmly down at the witch. She seemed like such a sweet girl now that he'd spent the night getting to know her at the ball. If he hadn't been convinced before that Remus should court her, he certainly was now! She would do nicely as a distraction for Remus from his constant sulking and moping about the full moon. So far, just his drawing her had already quelled a portion of his complaining. Sirius could only imagine how happy Remus would be once he was officially seeing the subject of his drawings.

"We… are honored, Eve," Sirius slowly began, trying to properly word what he wanted to say. "However, we can't help but notice that, lately, he's found himself another muse to keep occupied with drawing; a pretty little thing who's caught his eye." Sirius told the witch before reaching over to the ebony-covered book in her lap and turning the page.

Eve furrowed her eyebrows as she studied the girl etched into the parchment. Who was this girl? The drawing depicted her as possessing bouncy curls; vivid, sparkling eyes; and a dazzling smile that reached all the way up to her nose, causing it to scrunch slightly.

_She looks so familiar… but… now I know for certain that he doesn't fancy me… Well,_ She thought to herself wryly, _at least I now know he doesn't fancy Anna._

"She's beautiful, Sirius," Eve offered softly as she swallowed the lump in her throat. Turning to meet his eyes, she inquired, "But what does this have to do with me?"

Sirius gaped, awe-filled that this girl still didn't seem to get it through her head that his mate adored her.

"This has _everything_ to do with you," he whispered. Flipping the page to give her another drawing to view. _Perhaps _now_ she'll understand,_ he thought before clearing his throat and urging her, "Look harder."

Her eyebrows knitting in concentration, she soaked in the image of the girl, caught in a moment of amused laughter: same curly hair, same deep eyes, same smile, and same crinkled nose. The girl's portrait still tickled at something in the back of Eve's mind, and she knew she'd seen this girl somewhere before, but couldn't quite think of who she was.

Her eyes narrowed as they caught a dot on the girl's neck- a solitary freckle. Eve lifted a hand and pressed it to the corresponding place on her warm neck, where she knew a lonely freckle resided. _Wait… It can't be…_

"Are… Are these drawings of… _me?_" Eve asked in shock, flipping through the rest of the pages to find sketch after sketch of her double smiling or laughing or playfully sticking her tongue out.

Sirius smiled cheerfully and nodded, shifting positions so he was leaning against one of the posts of the four-poster, watching the scene unfolding before him with an amused glimmer in his eyes.

"But… But they can't be, I mean… I'm not nearly so… And-And he draws me so…" Eve stuttered herself into stunned silence when she found the drawing of her and Remus hugging, grinning up at her cheek-to-cheek. "What… What does this mean?" She inquired in a hopeful whisper, turning her wide eyes up to gaze at Sirius hopefully.

"'What this means' is that Remus fancies you," Sirius replied, slanting forward to be closer to her. "He took to you a short while after you two met." Pulling a curl behind her ear, he continued, "My guess as a Marauder is that he escorted Anna to the ball tonight to get you jealous. Did it work?"

Eve, physically swallowing to mentally gulp down her pride, nodded her head and released a tiny, "Yes."

His eyes smiled at her knowingly as he added, "And I took you to the ball because he was too bloody shy to ask to be your escort; I wanted to show him to just go after what he wants, otherwise he'll never get it. That's why the corsage I brought you was yellow; it was for friendship. I'd like to be your friend, Eve, but nothing more. I've quite taken to Anna." Dropping his hand from her face, he told her sincerely and softly, "I'm sorry if I led you to believe differently."

The witch released a relieved breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Well, this night just kept getting better and better, didn't it? "Sirius… I'd _love_ to be friends with you," she said with the smile Sirius identified as the one Remus always drew. She outstretched her arms in an offer of a hug, which he took, and the two embraced for a moment filled with relief and happiness now that Eve knew the truth about Remus. "And, no worries, I _know_ Anna has feelings for you, since you say Remus escorted her to make me envious. But… I just… I don't get it… I showed Remus a little affection once, and he completely blew up at me for it. Why would he go for me now? What does he even see in me?"

The wide-eyed and innocent expression on Eve's face was just too precious to Sirius, as it showed that she honestly hadn't the slightest idea that his mate had fallen for her before this little intervention. "Well, Eve, as you come to know Remus better in the future, you'll see that he definitely has his times when he's a bit moodier than usual." He recalled the incident Eve had described very vividly in his mind, as Remus had vented to him about it later on, and he remembered that it had occurred on the night of the full moon. "We're all teenagers, so I'm sure you understand."

He watched Eve nod and run her fingers down a page with her image inked onto it and, lifting her chin up so they were exchanging eye contact, he said, "As for what he sees in you…" He grinned as he recalled one night in particular that he and the werewolf had spent staying up late, as his friend babbled on and on about the girl. "He said once that he admires you for your sense of humor, your approachability, your intelligence, your personality in general _and_ the tiny little quirks that make you you, _and_ he happens to find you a _stunning_ subject to center his artwork on. He said a bit more, but… I think you should hear some of these things from him instead of me."

Eve blushed at this and turned away modestly to look through the rest of the drawings of her. The last page that was dedicated to her image was one of her in her Halloween Ball costume, and she clutched and the soft fabric of her skirt in recognition, furrowing her eyebrows in intrigue. "When… When did he draw _this?_"

Sirius's blue eyes glanced down at the sketch in question, and, with a reminiscing smile, he answered, "Earlier tonight, before we met you and Lily in the common room. He stepped out for a moment to see who was waiting downstairs, but I think he was just trying to escape from one of Prongs's hourly Lily-rambles with his sanity still in tact. I swear, sometimes I wish Prongs would just get married to the girl, already, and be done with it. Anyway, when he came back in, he dove right for this sketch book," he patted the book in Eve's lap, "and I knew he'd seen you. In case you haven't noticed, you're the only one he's been drawing lately."

Eve smiled timidly and said, "Oh, I noticed. I mean, I don't understand his fixation with drawing me, but I'm flattered, really. He draws me to look so… so _beautiful_, I… I wish I could look like that in real life."

Tongue trailing along his lower lip, Sirius held Eve in an intense gaze as he told her, "He only draws what he sees."

Eve released a breath and turned to look at Sirius, expecting to find him leering cruelly from giving her hope that maybe she did look like that, but she found only an honest smile on his face. She tilted her head to one side, as if sizing him up to see if he meant the look he was giving, but before she could ask the question on her mind, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Now, I, being one of Moony's best mates and all, would like to know why you fancy him," Sirius stated as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Eve's eyes widened, and she moved around in her seat as she blushed a light pink and inquired, "Oh, Merlin, is it really _that_ easy to tell?"

"My guess is that it isn't, if Moony seriously didn't get before that you have feelings for him," Sirius mused. "However, your reactions to his drawings and everything I've told you are a dead give away."

Eve grimaced. _I'll have to work on not being so obvious_, she thought to herself.

"I just want to know since I only want the best for him, seeing as he's one of my best mates and all, and… well, let's just say he hasn't had much luck in the past in regards to courting," Sirius explained to her, moving forward so that his elbows rested on his knees, his temple sitting on his knuckles as he studied her.

Feeling as if she were suddenly thrown into an interview situation, Eve sat up straight as a rod, causing Sirius to chuckle and remind her, "You're not sitting for an exam, Eve. All you have to do is have a nice, friendly little chat with me: What is it that you fancy Remus for?"

Eve grinned sheepishly at herself before returning to her normal and natural slouch and, her fingers lacing nervously together, she batted her eyelashes and said, "Alright, well, um the first time we 

worked together for the project, he was just so… so at ease, and he treated me as if we'd known each other for a while- which, we recently found out, is true, since we attended preschool together- and there were no awkward moments, or anything like that usually found between strangers. He's a funny boy; he always knows how to make me laugh. He's very easy to work with, and he's very creative and original. Remus is very smart, and… and we seem to have a bit in common, plus…" Her eyes dropped shyly to her hands, nervously wringing at one another as she finished off with a pink tint to his cheeks, "he's a right handsome bloke."

Sirius laughed good-naturedly and, to encourage her to overcome her shyness, agreed, "That he is, Eve. I would like very much for you to court Remus. I think you'd do him a world of good. See, he's a good guy, but his problem is he worries too much. Not only would you be a good match for him, but, with you to concentrate on, he'd forget to worry so much."

Eve nodded, a bit curious as to what Remus was so worried about, but not wanting to appear too nosy by asking. Glancing down at the sketchbook one last time, she shut it and handed it to Sirius while saying with a smile, "Well, thank you very much, Sirius, I had a wonderful time tonight." Standing up, she smoothed out the soft fabric of her skirt before adding, "And thank you so much for showing me those drawings and telling me what Remus really feels about me, I… I feel much better about maybe making a move to progress the relationship, now."

"Oh, I hope you do, Eve," Sirius said as he slid the book beneath Remus's bed and rose to his feet beside Eve. "He'd be delighted, honestly, he would. And, like I said before, you'd be good for him."

"Just one thing, though," Eve insisted as she made for the door. "I want to tell him what I said about him, as I feel he ought to hear everything from me, first, so-"

Remus, after throwing himself a bit of a pity party in the boys' lavatory, returned to the Gryffindor common room, weary and disheartened. By the time he'd reached the stairs to the boys' dormitory, the door had opened, and he heard a very familiar female voice resonating from it. He quickly ducked behind a pillar to hear what the two would say without being aware of his presence.

"-please don't tell Remus, alright?" He heard Eve inquire as she stepped out onto the landing.

"Of course, I won't," Sirius said kindly. "Off to bed with you, now; you must be exhausted from the night you've had."

Eve smiled gently and said, "I had a wonderful time, Sirius, thank you… for _everything._" They leaned forward to exchange a polite peck to each cheek before she made her way down the stairs to the boys' dormitories, across the corridor, and up the staircase to the girls' dormitories to retire for the evening.

Remus waited for a minute in a silence that only allowed him to hear his heart beat, beat, beating and his breath growing ragged. Eve had stayed with Sirius for the _entire_ time? What the _bloody hell_ did they think they were doing up there?

Shaking his head, he decided to just turn in for the night, if only to end this rotten day. His feet brought his body up the stairs, but he wasn't focusing on them, and before he knew it, he'd reached the dormitory. Luckily for him _and_ Sirius, the latter was using the bathroom, as Remus heard the toilet flush while he was changing into his pajamas.

Crawling into bed, the one thing he noticed just before sleep dragged him deep into darkness for the night was the light scent of lilacs whispering at his nose.

**Author's Note: **_**Questions to the readers: **_1. I'm interested in hearing who saw this coming with Sirius showing Eve Remus's drawing book? 2. What ideas (rated K, no exceptions) do you have that you'd like to see in the companion piece to _Written in the Stars_, in which Eve and Remus meet and become friends in preschool? **Please add the answers to these questions in your reviews**; I'd love to hear your thoughts, comments, and suggestions!


	15. The Fool

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note: **I'm so sorry about the week delay for this chapter, but my schedule was just ridiculously crowded, and so I couldn't write up a decent chapter. I hope this one makes up for it!

_**About the companion piece:**_ Due to a sudden sickness (it's a minor one, but annoying and sidetracking, all the same) the companion piece probably won't be up for another week or two. I'm sorry about this, but I will let everyone know when it's up in the author's note.

Thanks to all for reviewing! I've really enjoyed what everyone has to say, and I'd like to continue hearing your thoughts on this fanfiction. Please continue reading and reviewing!

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, May 4, 2008

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Fifteen: The Fool

Eve exited the bathroom and rubbed the soft, fluffy towel over her newly showered hair as she walked over to her four-poster and took a seat.

Tossing the towel aside for the time being, she rolled up the sleeves of her nightgown before opening the drawer to her bedside table and pulling out her tarot cards. She pulled the top of the box that held her tarot cards up and pulled out the deck wrapped in a deep scarlet scarf, setting it down on the bed before her.

With a deep breath, Eve rested a hand over her cards and concentrated on performing an accurate reading. She hoped that she'd see something good; Remus hadn't spoken to her since the ball, and she was starting to wonder if he was evading her on purpose.

Gathering the cards between her palms, she shuffled them while internally pondering, _Remus has been drawing pictures of me, and his friend told me that he draws me because he fancies me. I fancy Remus back. Where should I go from here? What should I do to further our relationship?_

Drawing in another soothing lungful of air, she flipped over the top card of her deck, and found a lively youth strutting along a dirt path with a rod slung over one shoulder.

The Fool.

As odd as it sounded, this was actually a great card for her to pull, given the current situation.

_Let's see… The Fool stands for fresh beginnings. Um… Oh, I _know_ there's something more to this one… _Eve thought to herself as she reached for her book bag and pulled out her Divinations textbook. Flipping through it, she 

found the section marked 'Tarot', and then finally an analysis on The Fool, and she skimmed through it. _'When right side up, this card symbolizes new starts in life'… 'As this card is part of the major arcana, it represents a milestone in one's life'… Ah, here it is, 'There may be hazards involved in making a decision that can change one's life to such an extent as this card depicts, but, with smart thinking and a positive outlook, they can be overcome.'_

Eve shut the book and nibbled on her lower lip in thought. What dangers could possibly come from her courting Remus? That seemed like a silly thing to even imagine, since he seemed to be the furthest thing from dangerous. Still, Eve had definitely learned from her experience with tarot cards that it was wise not to question the messages she was given, and that it was best for her to simply heed what they relayed to her.

With a shaky sigh, she gathered her possessions and stored them away where they belonged. She pushed herself up off her bed and brought herself to the bathroom, where she stood before a mirror.

Feeling her nerves begin to get the better of her, Eve quickly turned on the faucet and splashed her face with cold water. Turning to face the mirror, she said firmly to herself, "Look, you already know he fancies you, so what's the harm? Besides, 'nothing ventured, nothing gained', and… and I'm sure if he's not interested, then we'll still be friends anyway, right? Right?"

After waiting for a minute for the answer she knew wasn't going to come, she splashed some water onto the mirror and muttered, "Oh, what do _you_ know? You're only a reflection."

.x:X:x.

Remus reclined in his bed, scribbling away in his notebook, trying to get ahead in his homework, as he always liked to because of his condition.

Sirius emerged from the shower, steam trailing behind him, in a pair of gray sweatpants. Ruffling his hair dry with a towel, he halted for a moment upon spotting the werewolf. The dark-haired Marauder shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to the next before moving to his dresser and shuffling through the contents of one of the drawers.

Remus tried to continue to write his essay on the importance of pruning a flutterby bush on a regular basis, but everything about Sirius had been grating on his nerves lately, and so he slammed his notebook shut and made to put it away in his book bag and leave the boys' dormitory, but the other Marauder turned to speak.

"What the _bloody hell_ is your problem lately, Moony? Ever since the ball, you've been giving me the cold shoulder so badly, I'm surprised I haven't gotten frost bite, yet." He threw the towel from his hair down to the ground and stood up tall.

With a low growl in the back of his throat, Remus stood up and took a couple daring steps toward the wizard he'd once considered his friend and replied, "You want to know what my problem is, huh?" He marched up to the Marauder and shook his finger in his face. "_You_ took _my_ girl to bed, _that's_ what my problem is!"

"I did _not_!" Sirius exclaimed, furrowing his eyebrows in offense. "And, at any rate, she isn't officially 'your girl', so- Ah!"

Remus grabbed Sirius by the collar, just as he had the night of the ball to demand that the dark-haired wizard not compromise her virtue. He shoved him into the wall as he felt his blood come to a boil within his veins, searing his insides to the core until all he could do was obey the cry of the wolf within him, howling and snarling that Eve _was_ his, or, at least, he liked to think of her that way.

"_You_," Remus murmured with disgust as Sirius had never heard before. "You _promised_ me that you wouldn't take her to bed with you-"

"But I didn't, Remus! I swear!"

"-and you lied to me," he finished as if his former friend hadn't interrupted.

"You're not listening to me!" Sirius assured him, struggling against his fellow Marauder's grip on his shirt. "I didn't touch her in a way even _you_ would deem 'inappropriate'; I swear it on my great-grandmum Hydra's grave, Merlin rest her soul. The only thing I did all night was talk about _you,_ how wonderful _you_ were to keep her mind on _you_ and to make sure she fancied _you_."

"Lies!" Remus hissed through his teeth, his eyes turning red as a shallow layer of tears coated them. Swallowing back a lump in his throat, he revealed, "I saw you… saw you lead her up the stairs to this very room-"

"It wasn't what it looked like, Remus, I swear it!"

"-and when I returned a half hour later, I saw her exchange kisses with you and leave to go to the girls' dormitory. How do you explain _that,_ hmm?" Remus accused, giving the wizard a firm shake.

Sirius pondered carefully for a moment. How was he supposed to tell this to Remus when he already promised Eve he wouldn't? He may be a Marauder, but Sirius Black was a man of his word! _Besides_, he thought, _it would be a _very_ good thing for Moony to have a girlfriend, so…_

Shaking his head solemnly, he replied, "I can't tell you." Remus opened his mouth to tell him that he knew he had to be right, but the other wizard interrupted him, "Before you jump to conclusions, please… just listen. When are you meeting with Eve again?"

Narrowing his eyebrows suspiciously at Sirius, Remus inquired, "How is it any business of _yours?_"

"Just tell me, mate," Sirius urged.

After a pause, Remus replied, "I'm meeting up with her tonight to work on our project."

"And have you been talking with her?"

Another pause, and then, "No." He dropped his hands from his fellow Marauder's collar and, suddenly feeling a bit more subdued than he had been several minutes previous, he confessed, "I… I've been avoiding her a bit lately…" He dropped his gaze to the floor and scuffed it with his shoe. "I… I'm not sure I want to see her after what you two have done."

Sirius was finished arguing over the fact that he didn't take Eve to bed. It was getting monotonous, and at least he and Eve knew the truth. Deciding to put an end to their feud once and for all that very night, he told his friend, "Remus… Talk to Eve tonight while you're working on your project. Ask her about the ball… and then ask her about coming up to the boys' dormitory with me. She'll tell you the truth, just like I did. Hopefully, you'll believe her if you don't believe me."

Remus swallowed loudly and nodded without a word. Turning around, he grabbed his book bag and left the boys' dormitory.

He'd need a _lot_ of mental preparation before meeting with Eve tonight.

.x:X:x.

Eve fidgeted as she sat on the couch in the Gryffindor common room. She knew that Remus was usually early for their meetings, but the clock above the fireplace kept tick-tick-ticking later and later. It was now exactly seventeen minutes past their agreed time to meet up. Where in Merlin's name _was_ he?

A dark curl fell in front of her face then, and she hurriedly dug through a pocket in her book bag to pull out a compact mirror. Opening the lid, she pulled the curl back into the barrette she usually kept it in, securing it with the rest of her thick mane. While she was at it, she checked to make certain that her make-up hadn't been smudged. Yes, she'd put on a little bit of make-up for this occasion. Not much, but just enough that she felt a smidge more confidence at the, what she felt was a, bold move she was going to take to further their relationship.

Hearing the portrait of the fat lady swing open, she zipped the mirror back into her book bag before running her hands over her hair once more to make sure there weren't any bumps. Drawing in a deep breath, she put on a smile when Remus entered.

Remus had been doing quite a bit of thinking that day. He felt that, if Eve really did hear about him all night from Sirius, then she could be the one to say something about it first. Otherwise, he wasn't going to bring it up.

"Sorry I'm late," he said wearily, reluctant to be there with her after all the thoughts his mind had generated about the night Sirius and she had spent at the ball and afterward. Sitting down beside her, yet leaving much more room between them than he usually left in their project meetings, he burrowed through his backpack until he found his sketchbook. Without further explanation for his tardiness- seriously, what was he going to say, 'Sorry, Eve, but the scarring thought of you and Sirius together popped into my head every other minute today and made me dread coming here made me late'?- he pulled out a quill, uncorked an inkwell and, as he was dipping the tip into the ebony substance, said, "I think we should abandon the whole 'making our planets out of Styrofoam' idea, if you don't mind. I had a thought that we could just use magic to hold a mixture of gases together to form the planets. I think this would be easier, less messy, and have an overall more put-together look. What do you think?"

Eve, rather taken aback at the his blunt word vomit and lack of exchange of pleasantries, smoothed the skirt over her knees and said to him, "That sounds just fine to me, Remus. I honestly don't mind what we do with it, as long as our project fits what little criteria Professor Sinistra gave us and has a fighting chance of obtaining a good grade."

She watched as Remus began doodling a new sketch of their little universe. The landmasses formed together effortlessly, making the planets look as if they could really be in some galaxy in this universe. Even the sun looked real, if the sun were only black and white.

Eve knew that her moment had come; it was now or never.

"Remus… would you mind if I could see your sketchbook for a moment?" Remus looked a bit apprehensive about letting her look through it. He didn't want her to find out that he'd been drawing her, not like this!

"I promise I'll give it right back; I just want to see the design for our universe," Eve said innocently, holding out an expectant hand.

Remus sighed. What could he say? 'Sorry, I don't like people looking through my sketchbook, even though they already do?' _Merlin, if you can hear me right now, please make sure she doesn't flip through the pages and discover what I've been hiding from her._

With that, he nodded and placed his drawing book into her waiting hand. "I, er… hope you like my drawing."

Eve bobbed her head in return before pulling her reading glasses from the collar of her shirt and folding them around her face. She pretended to study his new drawing of Circe and Odysseus, their two planets, orbiting the sun of their solar system, while he nervously wrung his hands, watching over her shoulder.

It was then he realized that she'd put a little more effort than usual into her appearance. Now, he didn't feel that she needed to, seeing as she had a nice complexion, and she was almost always a touch rosy around her cheeks, but it was sort of special for him to see her natural beauty heightened with a dash more color.

"You know, Remus…" She began, pulling her small black glasses down her nose, "I can't help but notice that, although you're an amazing artist, your talent lies in expression and people." Before the wizard could say anything, the witch turned the book so it was facing him and, keeping her eyes fixed on his face, she flipped through page after page after page of her image etched into the parchment. With every page she turned, she watched as his face fell more and more, and grew redder and redder, until finally his mouth hung open.

After a minute of silence, he cleared his throat and rasped, "Eve… I'm so… _so_ sorry I didn't ask if it was alright to draw you _before_ I drew you, I… I didn't mean for you to find out… especially not like this." He leaned forward until his elbows rested on his knees and his scarlet face was buried in his hands.

Eve furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. He… He was _apologizing_ for drawing her so beautifully? Why would he even _think_ to say something like that? They were captivating sketches!

"Remus," she murmured gently, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as she scooted close enough to lean over him and whisper into his ear, "please don't apologize, there's no reason to. I _love_ them, Remus. Why… they were drawn so beautifully that, when Sirius first showed me, I didn't even realize it was me on the page."

Remus jerked up to gaze at her as his conversation with Sirius ran through his mind that morning.

'_Remus… Talk to Eve tonight while you're working on your project. Ask her about the ball… and then ask her about coming up to the boys' dormitory with me. She'll tell you the truth, just like I did. Hopefully, you'll believe her if you don't believe me.'_

"That's… That's why Sirius took you upstairs at the ball, isn't it? He showed you my sketchbook." Remus felt a wave of guilt crashing down on him, like a wave of the cold, cold ocean. He'd treated Sirius horribly since the ball, while he'd always been there for the werewolf, especially when Remus was moping about the upcoming full moon. He and the other Marauders had always been there for him, and… and he failed to trust him in return. What a terrible friend he was.

"Yes, that's why," Eve replied, and Remus sighed in relief. Gently rubbing his shoulder, Eve smiled at the wizard and told him sincerely, "Remus, it's such an honor to be drawn by you! The detail, it's," she flipped through the pages and pointed out small features that he'd added in, "it's… it's _stunning!_ I… I'm in awe that you remember so much about me that you can draw it out later."

Remus beamed modestly. He honestly didn't think his work was _that_ great, although he knew it was better than average. Shrugging, he told her, "Well, it's hard _not_ to notice everything about such a pretty girl."

Eve felt her cheeks heat up, and she ducked her eyes and offered, "Well, I… I'd love to play muse to you some more. That is, if you're not tired of drawing me, yet."

The wizard brightened up upon hearing this. "R-Really? I'd love to! And, no, of course I'm not through drawing you! Merlin, Eve, this'll be loads of fun; there are tons of positions and emotions I'd like to draw you in."

She giggled and told him, "It's a deal, then; I'll be your model and muse, and you draw beautiful images of me." She flipped the page over and squinted as something caught her eye.

"Hey, I don't _actually_ have this little crinkle in my nose, do I?" The witch inquired, pointing it out on the parchment before her.

"Well… Yeah, you do, as a matter of fact," the wizard replied. "But only when you laugh or smile wide. It's quite adorable, I can tell you that!"

Eve's eyes sparkled at the compliment, and, with a giggle, she absentmindedly scrunched up her nose and said, "No! Really?"

Laughing at the fact that Eve didn't even realize she was doing what he'd just explained to her, Remus replied, "Yes, 'really', you're doing it right now!"

Eve reached a hand up to feel at the fold in her nose, and she chuckled when she found it. "Well, I'll be! I didn't even know that was there!"

The two sat for several minutes, giggling at their silliness, subconsciously drawing closer and closer to one another, until Eve's hands rested on Remus's lightly muscled arms, and Remus's forehead was pressing against hers, nuzzling tenderly.

"There's more," Eve breathed, and she was so close that Remus could feel the heated air brush against his lips, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to prickle and stand on end pleasantly. "Sirius told me…" she nibbled on her bottom lip nervously, and Remus wished for the moment that _he_ could be the one nibbling on that succulent lower lip of hers, "He-He told me that… you fancied me."

Remus tensed up beneath Eve's fingertips. He wasn't so sure he liked where this was going. The wizard, after all, had to be very careful when it came to these matters, as he was just as dangerous, he felt, with or without a girlfriend, but to that girl, he could be even more dangerous than to anyone else, if only because of the bond between romantic partners.

Eve batted her eyelashes as she felt his muscles stiffen, and, trying to calm him, she moved forward until her lips were near his ear and murmured, "And… I fancy you back." With that, she pulled back just enough so that her mouth was by his cheek, and she gently smooched the warm skin there, pulling away a solid two seconds later.

Their hearts beat rapidly within their chests and to the same rhythm, as if they were calling out to one another for more, as they'd both held this secret locked away for too long. Remus began moving forward to meet Eve's mouth and finally get the taste of her he'd been waiting for, but the clock in the Astronomy Tower tolled, proclaiming to all that it was time to get to sleep.

"Ooh, where _has_ the time gone?" Eve inquired softly once the moment was broken. Gently stroking his face, she told him sincerely, "I'm _so_ glad that we had this talk, Remus."

Remus, gently stroking a stray curl of hair from her face, replied with a tender smile, "Same here."

Eve sat in comfortable silence with him as they gazed into one another's eyes contentedly before breaking the spell a second time by saying, "I… I really _am_ sorry… but I should be off to sleep, now, else I'll never be able to get up in the morning."

"That's alright. Here, let me walk you?" Remus inquired as he gathered up his belongings and slung his backpack over his shoulder. As the two strolled side by side in silence toward the staircase leading to the girls' dormitory, they each took turns throwing a glance at each other, chuckling, and then turning to look at the floor beneath their feet. It wasn't until Remus's hand shyly brushed against Eve's in hopes of holding it that they reached their destination.

"Well, here we are," Eve declared quietly, standing before the last step of the staircase.

"We'll definitely have to talk more later," Remus declared with a tiny grin.

Bobbing her head, the witch agreed, "That we shall."

Remus gently grasped Eve's hand and brought it to his mouth, holding her gaze as he slowly planted a smooch to one of her knuckles. This kiss was far more affectionate than the ones Sirius had given her, and it left a smile and blush on her face that Remus burned into his mind as an expression that he'd have to draw later. Perhaps he could even draw himself kissing her hand in the sketch?

"I… I really must be going," Eve told him once more with a timid smile.

"Sweet dreams, Eve," Remus told her as she blew him a kiss and climbed the stairs, stopping once to throw him a smile over her shoulders.

Catching her airborne kiss, he placed it in his pocket to open up and save for a rainy day. But for now, all he could see were blue skies and sunshine lighting up his life.

**Author's Note:** What do you all think? Please **leave a review**with your thoughts on this chapter, or what you might think will happen in future chapters! As always, I _love_ hearing from the readers!

Sorry I haven't been able to reply to reviews; I'll definitely try to reply to them sometime soon!


	16. Standing Up Eve

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** I reached over six-thousand hits this past week on this fanfiction. Thanks a lot for your continued support and enthusiasm!

Thanks to everyone for writing reviews; I'm more than happy to read everyone's thoughts and comments on this fanfiction, and it really helps me learn and grow as a writer. Please leave a review; it'll motivate me to continue writing this fanfiction.

**Publish Date:** Sunday, May 11, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Sixteen: Standing Up Eve

"So _then_ what happened? Oh you simply _must_ tell me, Eve!" Lily followed at Eve's heels like an excited puppy as the brunette fiddled with her hair, trying to tame it for a day of classes.

"And then he walked me to the staircase and told me good night. Oh, _and_ I blew him a kiss while I walked up the stairs," Eve recalled with a gentle smile playing on her lips as she strolled about the girls' dormitory, tugging her hair this way and that.

"Did you even kiss him?"

"I already told you, I kissed him on the cheek," Eve told the ginger-haired witch, the small smile blossoming on her lips into a wider one as she recalled the feeling of his smooth, warm cheek beneath her lips…

"No, no, no," Lily clarified in slight frustration. "I mean, did you kiss him _on the lips?_" The witch looked so excited at the anticipated response that Eve was seriously questioning her current mental age at the moment.

"_What?!_" Eve asked incredulously as she stopped short. Lily bumped into the brunette and muttered an apology before Eve turned around and, while she clipped her barrette shut around her hair, inquired, "Don't you think that's a _bit_ forward for right now?"

Lily gave a tiny giggle and shrugged, pulling a strand of auburn hair behind her ear and replying honestly, "Well, yes… but- oh!- I'm so excited for him," she continued her ramblings as she followed Eve into the bathroom, leaning against the wall as the brunette entered one of the stalls while he kept speaking, "and, of course, I'm happy for you, too, and… Oh, I'm just so _happy_ for the two of you!"

The toilet flushed, and Eve emerged from the stall. "You looked so cheerful last night when you came up for bed, Eve."

"Lily, there isn't a 'two of us'… or, not officially, anyway. We just admitted to each other that we fancy one another, that's all." Eve told the other Gryffindor softly as she washed her hands in the sink.

"But," she added as she dried her hands, "he _did_ say we could talk more some other time. We didn't have the time to last night; it was getting to be too late."

"You'll have to tell me how it all goes," Lily requested as the two moved to the girls' dormitory to grab their book bags.

Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, Eve teased lightly, "You have an awful lot to say to me this morning, Lily. First, the endless questions, and now you're making demands? Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Chuckling, Lily replied as the two walked toward the door, "Sorry, I'm just so excited for you two! Besides, if you think _I'm_ bad, just imagine how much teasing Remus's friends are doing to him right now!"

.x:X:x.

"Look at our mate, Prongs, scrub, scrub, scrubbin' away at that lipstick mark. I've never been so proud!" Sirius teased with a fake sniffle, while wiping a nonexistent tear from his eye. James snickered at his best mate's antics.

"Merlin, does this stuff _ever_ come off? How do girls do this all the time?" Remus vented in frustration as he wiped the scarlet smudge from his even redder cheek. Switching the cloth from his right hand to his left, he continued grumbling, "I'll wager women do this to mark their territory!"

"That's _my_ theory!" James joined in.

"Think about it, if I'm already taken by one girl, and the whole world sees this lipstick print and, therefore, knows that I'm unavailable, then no one else is even going to bother _trying_ to go for me. Not that I mind, of course, one girl is good enough for me, but… I wish _we_ could 'mark our territory' with our girls!" Remus reasoned as he pulled his hand away from his cheek to inspect it for any remaining traces of lipstick.

"Oh, Moony," Sirius sighed disappointedly, shaking his head, "you are so naïve. Haven't you ever been introduced to the ways of hickey-giving?"

Peter, from behind Sirius and James, turned a lively shade of pink, and tugged his collar up to hide the freshest of Narcissa's hickeys. _I really ought to begin that project soon…_

Remus turned to direct a small glare at Sirius before he told him, "I'm not even going to approach that subject with her. She scarcely kissed me last night-"

"That lipstick says different."

"-so I'm certainly not going to get into a snog with her anytime soon. I'd rather _not_ get hexed into next century for being too forward." Tilting his head around before the mirror, he made sure that the smudge was gone before tossing the rag into the sink and sighing, "Well, I guess that's good enough for now."

"You know, you could've just used a spell, mate," James pointed out as they left the bathroom together.

"I did," Remus replied in an unamused mutter. "It's as if lipstick is backed with a permanent sticking charm, or something." He stopped by his four-poster and began to gather his school supplies to pack them up.

"So… are you going to make it official today?" Sirius inquired as he shrugged on his robes.

Remus paused in his work for a moment before replying softly, "I… I'm not sure… I mean… I'd like to… but…" He sighed, unsure of whether he should convey his thoughts to his friends.

"But you don't want to chance her getting hurt… or having to tell her about… your condition," Sirius finished knowingly, clapping a hand on the werewolf's shoulder.

The young wizard nodded, a bit surprised that his friend understood him so clearly and quickly. _Though Sirius _has_ always been rather good at guessing others' feelings._

"I just… I keep telling myself that… that if it's unofficial… then she won't get hurt and she won't find out, you know?" Remus asked, silently pleading his fellow Marauder to see where he was coming from.

"I get it, Moony, really, I do, but… I'd really like to see you seal the deal on this one. Think about it- anyone who attends this school is at risk- the four of us, mostly, because we follow you out each month, but… everyone in this castle is still at risk. And, either way, she's going to get curious as to why you consistently turn up injured in the Hospital Wing, and lying to her while you two are a couple, official or not, isn't exactly the way to go. Believe me, women know things, mate, and Eve'll just _know_ when you lie to her."

Remus sighed and nodded his head in resignation. As much as he hated to admit it, his friend was right, he really couldn't keep Eve in the dark while he was courting her. It was one thing when he kept the truth from his friends in the beginning of their time at Hogwarts, but it was quite another, in his eyes, to do the same to someone who was dating him. He may be getting a bit ahead of himself, but, if their relationship _was_ made exclusive, he would have to tell her about his problem sooner than he allowed the Marauders to know. He wouldn't want to, but, if she was going to be committed to him, she had to know the bloodthirsty animal she was also committing herself to.

"Thanks. I'll… I'll keep that in mind, mate," Remus murmured as he pulled his backpack onto his shoulder and walked out of the boys' dormitory.

Thoughts of his (unofficial) girl screaming at him and storming off, never to speak to him again once she discovered his secret swirling through his head, he descended the stairs, looking up only when he heard some light chatter emanating from the common room. The gloomy ideas immediately dissipated when Eve's head turned away from Lily and toward him, blushing slightly at his presence.

The two held a silent gaze while James waltzed playfully over to Lily and, sitting on the arm of the couch beside her, smooched her on the mouth before telling her, "You look lovely, as always, this morning. But… hmm… there's something missing…" He pretended to think for a moment before snapping his fingers and exclaiming, "Ah, _that's_ it!" While moving his hand behind her ear, he discreetly took hold of his wand in his robes with his other hand and thought a spell in his mind. Drawing his hand back into her plain view, he produced a large flower for his girlfriend. "A gorgeous lily for a gorgeous Lily?" He asked with a sheepish grin as he presented his gift to her.

Lily fluttered her eyelashes, enchanted by the lovely flower. "Oh, James," she breathed, taking the lily into her hands and smelling it, "it's _beautiful!_" She pulled his chin down to return the kiss before pulling away and beaming up at him.

Sirius, meanwhile, decided that it would be a very good thing if Remus and Eve would start talking to one another _before_ they grew old and gray. Giving his the Marauder a light kick in the leg as he walked by, he coughed, "Say something!" before walking out of the common room and through the portrait hole.

Surprised into speaking, Remus quickly staggered a step closer to Eve and blurted out, "Good morning!"

"'Morning," Eve replied with a smile, twirling a curl around her finger. "How did you sleep?"

"Very well," the wizard stated, his tact returning to him as he kneeled by her and took her hand in his. "I had a pleasant dream last night starring you," he gently told her as he smooched one of her knuckles.

Eve's eyebrows arched upward at how sweet he was being right then, and replied, "Aw, did you really?"

He nodded and smiled sincerely in response.

Pulling Remus up to stand with her, she hugged him and said, "You're too kind." Shyly, as if she wasn't certain if he wanted her to do so, she kissed him on the cheek once more and inquired, "Walk me to class? I accidentally woke up too late today to get some breakfast."

"Of course. Maybe I could swing by the Great Hall while breakfast is still being served and grab you something to eat after your first class?" Remus offered as they walked past James and Lily to get to Eve's class.

"Oh, you really don't have to," Eve told him politely, but her stomach gurgled angrily at her, and, with a sheepish grin, she patted it and inquired, "Would you mind?"

"Of course not," he replied half-distractedly as he tried to figure out how he could subtly let her know that he would like to loop arms with her or hold her hand.

As they strolled together through the corridor, Remus finally came to the conclusion that an arm link wouldn't look as official as a hand-hold would, and so, with a playful bow and a grin, he inquired in a particularly deep and noble accent, while holding his arm up to her, "May I, m'lady?"

Eve giggled before curtsying and replying, "You may, m'lord," before hooking her arm through his and continuing on her merry way with him.

She couldn't describe the wonderful feeling of being on Remus Lupin's arm, and could only wonder what it would be like to be held between both of them. She imagined that she would feel pleasantly warm and extremely protected there, if he would ever hold her in such a way.

Inside, Remus was glowing with this progress. Not only was Eve not one of the insane girls Sirius usually chose for him as a girlfriend, but she was also very playful, and not afraid to be a little silly every once in a while.

Before the wizard knew it, Eve was telling him, "Well, here's my stop. I'll meet you out here with that food after this class is over with, right?"

"Right. Oh! Before I forget, we should meet tonight at the library and try to finish up our project; the due date is approaching," Remus reminded her as he patted her on the hand.

"Yes, we really ought to finish up the history portion of it. The model itself will be easy to make," Eve suggested before glancing into the classroom and watching the professor quiet the students in order for class to begin.

"Ooh, I have to go. I'll see you later!" The witch smooched him once more on the cheek before hurrying in, taking one last glance at him before taking her seat and pulling out her notebook, quill, and ink, scribbling down a few notes on what the professor was saying.

Sirius strolled leisurely down the corridor then before furrowing his eyebrows and pointing out to Remus, "Moony, you've got a little something here… oh, and here, too." He pointed to each of his cheeks, causing his friend to reach up, his eyes widening with horror when he pulled away his hand and a thick, crimson substance resided on his fingertips.

Something _had_ to be done about the epidemic that was lipstick!

.x:X:x.

_The History of Planet Circe: Part I_

_By: Eve Pankhart_

Ah, it felt _so_ nice to have this done and out of the way! Now all she needed to do was wait for Remus to arrive and finish his portion of the history of their planet, and make a couple drawings of some of the creatures that resided, and then all they'd have to do was whip up a model of their universe! Yup, life was definitely good…

Eve leaned into her chair and arched her back, stretching out her tense muscles. Her stormy eyes lolled around in her head until they fixed themselves on the clock. Hmm… That was odd… It was twenty-seven minutes past seven, the time they'd agreed meet up at during their short breakfast to.

_The only other time he'd shown up late was last night… when he was upset with me for attending the ball with Sirius… Oh, Merlin, what have I done to anger him_ this_ time?_ Eve flipped through the memories of their rushed breakfast as they hurried to Potions together. He'd been munching on a chocolate-chip muffin, while he'd brought her back a blueberry one. Now, she liked blueberry muffins quite a bit, but when chocolate was dangled in her face, she had to have some. She'd teased him about bringing her back something that seemed second-fiddle to his, and he'd chuckled and allowed her to have a piece. Surely he couldn't be mad at her for _that_, she was only teasing around!

_Nah, he wouldn't get upset over something as small as that. Besides, he didn't know what I like to eat since I didn't tell him, so it wasn't anyone's fault._

She decided to wait it out at the library, certain that he had a good excuse for his tardiness. Perhaps he had to stop by at a class of his to ask a question?

_Perhaps he's snogging Anna, like he did at the ball…_ Eve squeezed her eyes shut and forced the thought from her mind. She understood that Remus and Anna had only attended together to make their respective crushes jealous, but she didn't get why they needed to take it as far as that. Merely bringing each other along as dates and dancing with one another had been enough in Eve's book. She would definitely have to have a talk with him about that, and she'd have to do the same with Anna… though she also felt the need to _thank_ her friend for going with Remus, as she didn't believe she would know of his feelings for her if the blonde hadn't been his date.

_The ironies of life_, Eve thought to herself with a small grin as she relaxed back into her chair, making a mental note to herself that she wanted to deem this relationship official soon so that, among other reasons, he couldn't go around doing such things with other girls.

She decided to perform a quick tarot reading, and pulled her deck from a pocket of her book bag. The witched inhaled and exhaled deeply to center her intuition and prepare herself to receive the answer she sought. She shuffled them while concentrating on her inquiry. _Where is Remus?_ She drew in a deep breath and turned over the top card of the deck.

_Not all is as it appears… instincts over rationality… dishonesty… What? This can't be right… Can it?_ She studied the dark, mysterious image on the front of the card before clearing her head of the reading and putting her deck away, keen on forgetting what she'd just read. _Remus would never…_

Fifteen minutes later found her attempting- and failing miserably- to balance one of her textbooks on her forehead and nose. That ended, however, when Madam Pince rushed over, grabbed the book from her, and scolded her for her 'misuse of one of wizardkind's precious volumes of knowledge.' Eve politely reminded the older woman that that textbook was hers, and, therefore, she could do with it what she liked; Madam Pince couldn't punish her since it wasn't part of the library's collection. The older witch had turned an angry crimson at that moment, and she lectured her for the next thirty minutes on speaking to an authority figure properly, as well as the appropriate use of books, no matter whom they belonged to.

Once she'd gone away, the young witch mocked the librarian under her breath before trying to amuse herself with levitation spells. Her quill, her bookbag, and a notebook of hers danced merrily in the air, catching the fleeting attention of those who walked by her until Madam Pince announced that the library was closed to all students for the evening.

The witch, who'd formerly been bored out of her mind, felt a flame burn at the back of her mind as she packed up her possessions, threw a glare at Madam Pince, and stormed off, heading back up to the girls' dormitory. How _dare_ Remus do this to her? Surely he must've known that, with all the flirting going on between them and their recent confessions of feelings for one another, that their meeting would've been more than just for their project; it would've been a chance for them to flirt and talk some more, seeing as they didn't have _too_ much left to do for their Astronomy work.

As she threw open the portrait of the fat lady, who, for the second time that week had taken a face plant into the wall, she fumed to herself, _He'd better have a bloody good excuse for standing me up!_

**Author's Note:** Ooh! Why didn't Remus show up? And what tarot card did Eve draw? It has to do with why Remus didn't make it to the library, and I left a few clues to help out with the guessing. Tell me what you think in your **review**! As always, I'd love to hear your ideas, thoughts, and comments!


	17. It's a Date

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to all who take the time out of their day to leave a review. It means an awful lot to me, and the more reviews I get each day, the more motivated I feel to continue writing this fanfiction. Thank you all, you're the best! Please keep reviewing this fanfiction, I love hearing your thoughts!

This fanfiction has been archived in another community: acg233's Need To Read, managed by Blair Sloan. Thanks a bunch, Blair Sloan; I really appreciate it!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, May 18, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Seventeen: It's a Date

_The moon loomed high overhead, its pearly radiance illuminating the otherwise dark black night. The stars stood watch in silent witness as she fled from the beast, the trees clutching at her curly hair, and the wind slamming against her legs as she ran._

_She could only hear the pounding of her heart in her ears, mingling with the low, gruff grunt of the animal as he pawed after her, desiring nothing less than to make her his prey._

_Turning to throw a quick glance over her shoulder, her gray eyes met the predator's silver gaze, and she continued sprinting through the forest, feeling warm breath heat up the back of her neck._

_A root caught her foot and tripped her, throwing her to the ground with a groan. She rolled over onto her back, sharp pebbles biting into her flesh._

_The wolf lunged at her, eyes wild and bright; jaws open wide and salivating as sharp, yellowed teeth closed in on her._

_Throwing her head back, the girl screamed to the moon, piercing the night, catching a glimpse of the pale orb as it shifted to mirror the image of someone she wished was there with her, someone to save her…_

"Remus!" Eve breathed as she awoke with a gasp, jackknifing in her bed and clutching the thick blanket to her trembling body. Her curls and nightgown stuck tight to her face and body as the perspiration on her skin became a makeshift adhesive.

Panting, the startled witch touched her cheek as if to make sure that she was truly awake. _What an odd nightmare…_ She thought to herself as she peeled the blankets from her form and shakily crossed the floor, making her way to the bathroom in hopes of washing the horrific night terror down the drain. As she hustled, she didn't even notice that Lily's bed was vacant.

The water beat down on her while she massaged the shampoo through her curly locks, her mind wandering back and forth between the chilly water that grounded her to reality and the flashes of the wolf and Remus Eve had caught while she was running through the forest in her dream.

_What could've _possibly_ inspired that nightmare?_ Eve thought to herself as she rubbed soap onto her neck, wincing at the thought of the animal's fangs ripping into the delicate flesh.

The bar of soap slipped from her hands then and clattered by the drain as several memories in quick succession overcame her like an ocean wave.

_Her hand pulled back from the deck and flipped over a tarot card with wolves throwing their heads back and singing their howls to the bright moon, while a crayfish sat idly in a body of water by their paws._

_The Moon card._

_Her first time taking the Divinations class, her professor, an odd, lanky woman, waved her arms about the class eerily as she told them, "A vision may hit anywhere at anytime and in a number of ways; a daydream, through any divination technique, or as a dream, particularly if it is exceptionally vivid. For a beginner, a vision may come with a few side effects, depending on the individual, such as nausea, perspiration, fainting spells, uncontrollable shivering, turning pale, or heavy breathing."_

Eve's gray eyes opened wide at the realization that dawned on her. _I… I had a vision?_ She pondered."I had a vision…" She whispered before her lips curved upward into a large grin, "Oh, Merlin, I had a vision! I have to… I need to… Let's see, what should I do first?" She turned off the water to the shower before drying herself off and wrapping her hair up in a towel.

_I think I should record this… Maybe I should start keeping a diary… No wonder why the professor had us keep a dream diary for Divinations class! Hmm…_ She wrapped a raspberry red robe around her form, running her hands over the fluffy sleeves as she exited the shower to go to the main portion of the girls' bathroom._ After that, I ought to analyze it through symbolism, especially in relation to The Moon tarot card, and-_

Her thoughts were cut short when a redhead appeared in the doorway, slight bags drooping beneath her atypically dull eyes.

"Eve," Lily whispered before swallowing a lump in her throat, "Remus… is in the Hospital Wing again… it's worse than last time."

.x:X:x.

Remus's broken body slumped on the hospital cot as Madam Pomfrey drained potion after potion down his throat to help fight the pain.

"What have you done to yourself?" The Healer muttered to herself as she made sure her last potion made it down his esophagus. "Did you get into a fight with a centaur last night?"

However, the werewolf had no clue Madam Pomfrey was helping to heal him. He couldn't perceive anyone or anything around him, for, at the moment, he wasn't awake. His eyes twitched rapidly in his head, and, as he teetered between consciousness and unconsciousness, images of the previous night filled his mind.

_Remus had been strolling down the corridor toward the library, whistling a merry little tune to himself, when Sirius, James, and Peter, all with worried expressions stretched across their features, thundered to him, nearly knocking him over._

"_Woah, mates, take it easy! I know you're always so excited to see me, but this is a bit much, don't you think?" Remus inquired with a teasing grin._

"_Moony… do you have… any idea how long… we've been looking for you?" Peter sputtered as he doubled over and leaned his hands against his knees, panting and red-faced._

"_Do you know what time it is?" Sirius inquired quickly before taking his friend by the arm and leading him in the opposite direction of where he had previously been walking._

"_Time to meet up with Eve." Remus offered happily, unaware of the severity of the situation. Shrugging his friends off of him, he asked, "What's all this for, huh? I'm going to meet with her right now. I haven't any time for games-"_

"_Remus, it's the full moon tonight!" James exclaimed and, as soon as he did so, the werewolf crumpled to the cold, hard floor, moaning in pain._

"_Guys, get him! We need to bring him out of the castle!" Sirius commanded as he pulled Remus's left arm over his shoulders. James followed suit with his friend's right arm, and Peter picked up the writhing wizard's feet._

_The three galloped with their friend from the castle, knowing the risk they were taking by being so close to him while they were still in human form just before the moon was to rise._

"_Well," Sirius began dryly as Remus felt himself begin to transform as his friends were setting him on the dusty old bed in the Shrieking Shack, "at least we know Eve's a good distraction for him."_

Remus came back into his body so suddenly that his head jerked a little, causing him to grimace and release a groan. "Uhn…"

He felt a tender tugging at his hand, and then felt something textured being molded onto it. Vaguely recalling being brought into the Hospital Wing, he wondered out loud, "M-M… Madam P-Pomfrey?" He cleared his throat and licked his lips after hearing his hoarse voice crack, and felt the movement at his hand cease for a moment before it continued.

"M-Madam Pomfrey?" He asked again, only louder, this time, before slitting open a slightly swollen eyelid and finding his Eve tending to his wounds, not the Healer. _She really is something special, going through all this trouble just for me._

His eye drank in the welcome sight of the generous young witch as she bowed her curly head over his hand in concentration, trying to keep the fresh strip of stubborn gauze in its place while he healed. He noticed with a jolt of interest that her hair was damp, as if she'd just taken a shower. That thought put a tiny, mischievous grin on his face before her head pulled up and he found tears meandering down her pink cheeks.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Remus moved the hand Eve was tending to up to caress her face, and she fluttered her eyelids in a startled manner as he did so. Once she realized he was awake, she jumped to her feet and inquired, "Remus? Are-Are you alright?" Thoughts of his neglecting to show up the night before at the library gone, she stepped away from her chair, keeping his hand on her cheek as she took a gentle seat beside him on the cot.

"Oh, thank Merlin," he heard Lily say from the opposite side of the bed. He felt her lightly touch his arm and tell him, "I hope you feel better soon, Remus… I'll leave you two alone, now. I should go wake and tell the other three that you're doing alright." With that, she waved at Eve with a tired smile and parted the curtains of the cubicle to leave.

"Why… Why are you crying?" Remus asked gently to Eve, lightly rubbing her soft, moist cheek with the pad of his thumb.

Her lower lip quivered and her voice broke as she replied, "Oh, Remus, I feel so guilty… Last night I was furious at you for breaking our meeting at the library, and now… I've just been so worried about you, and… Oh, you have so many broken bones, Remus; your ribs, your other arm, your ankle… Madam Pomfrey said she ran out of the potions that can help repair them before you came in, since a couple other students who had been here needed them first. She only had potions to help with the pain, your wounds, and your bruises, and I think she gave them to you out of order in her hurry to help other students, because they're not working as quickly as they could be."

Remus had to pause for a minute to take all this information in. It overwhelmed him to the point of producing a headache throbbing behind his temples, and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before opening them and meeting Eve's gray gaze. "I'm sorry I missed our project meeting last night-"

"No need to apologize; I know why you did, now."

"-I was at Care of Magical Creatures," he lied easily, having done this dozens of times before, "when I needed to stay after for a little to ask the professor about the hippogriff we'd studied in class. But… I accidentally got too close without waiting for the hippogriff to bow in return after I did, and…" he glanced down at his mangled body and ended, "this happened." _I have to remember to be more careful next time_, he thought angrily to himself, _someone could've been hurt, killed, or… or turned into a werewolf._

Eve noticed the way Remus purposely avoided her gaze, and her face fell from one of sympathy to one of subtle disbelief. Recalling the tarot card reading she'd performed the night before, she swallowed and quietly told him, "You know… when you didn't show up last night, I… I did a tarot reading on you. A quick one, nothing big…" He arched his eyebrows up in curiosity at where this was going, and she continued, "Remus… I pulled The Moon. Do you know what that means?"

Remus paled even more than he already was at the moment over the implications of that card. She couldn't know…

"It means dishonesty, and that a situation isn't what it appears to be. Have you been untruthful with me, Remus?" She inquired, hope glistening in her eyes that he'd reply in the negative.

Oh, what was he to do? He could lie to her, _yet again_, and say that he had never been dishonest with her, and act hurt until _she_ apologized, _or_ he could tell her the truth by saying that he had been untruthful and then get her mad at him. He was so tempted to tell her the former, but he knew that she'd either find out the real truth in the future, or he'd tell her out of guilt for allowing her to court a monster without her knowing it, and then, because he'd already lied to her so many times, he'd be in big trouble with her. Yes, he was old-fashioned; in relationships, he truly believed that the truth was always the best… except when it came to his condition.

With a sigh, Remus nodded his head and confessed, "Yes, Eve, I have been lying to you."

A surprised and hurt façade took over Eve's features, and, swallowing shakily, she inquired, "Is… is it another girl?"

"What? No! No, of course not! No, Eve, nothing like that, never something like that. I… I could never do anything like that to someone, especially you. I fancy you, why would I want to hurt you?" He watched as she shut her eyes, touched her temple, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Do… Do you really find me to be that type?"

"No, not at all! But… Remus, I didn't know what to think! What other kind of lying could you be doing to me?" Eve inquired with a curious quirk of her head.

Remus drew in a sharp breath at the word 'lying'. He knew very well that he was flat-out lying to her, yes, but when it passed her lips, it sounded… it sounded like the most horrible of sins to commit.

"See, it's like this," he began, trying to explain as tactfully as possible while still leaving her in the dark about his condition, "you know how there are certain… certain topics of discussion that you shouldn't touch upon when you're just starting to court someone?" Eve nodded and he continued, "What I'm not telling you is one of those things. We should, you know… wait for a while before I explain to you this thing. Is… Is that okay?"

Eve pondered it over for a moment before smiling softly and replying in an understanding manner, "Alright. Sure, that's okay."

The two smiled and gazed at one another in content silence before Remus couldn't help but point out with a playful grin, "You know… I got a better greeting yesterday morning." When Eve knitted her brows and quirked her head to one side in confusion, he continued, "My cheeks are a bit cold… will you warm them up?"

Ah, _now_ she knew what this was about. With a tiny smile, she nodded and flirted, "Oh, yes, your cheeks look like they're _freezing!_ Here, let me help with that." She carefully leaned in, making sure not to touch his aching body, and planted a butterfly-light smooch on his cheek before moving to kiss the other, noticing with a tiny giggle how ticklish he was to her when unshaven. "There, is that better?"

"_Much,_" He replied gratefully with a smile before Madam Pomfrey opened the curtain and bustled in.

"Here you are, Mr. Lupin, I've all your bone-mending potions right here, fresh from the cauldron," the Healer told him as she picked up three different vials of similar-looking liquids and set them down on the table beside his bed. "I need you to drink these down before I return; there are other students who need tending to for now."

With that, she scooped up the tray into her arms and was beginning to walk out, when she abruptly stopped and spun around on her heel to confirm what she thought she'd seen: two pairs of lipstick marks on the werewolf's cheeks. Since Eve was the only one in the cubicle with Remus, that had to mean she'd kissed him.

Madam Pomfrey pulled the curtain open all the way and told the two in a low, serious voice, "This is to stay completely open from now on, am I understood?"

The teenagers nodded before the Healer took her leave. Eve blushed, but giggled, nonetheless, when Remus began laughing. "Honestly, in my condition, what does she think we're going to do in here?"

"Exactly!" Eve concurred before plucking up each vial and holding them up separately into the light.

"What are you doing?" Remus inquired with a slight wince and hitch to his voice as he tried to turn his head and face her.

"I'm trying to figure out which potion is for which broken bone so I can give them to you in the best order," she told him. "They all look so much alike… it's just a matter of if they're transparent, translucent, or opaque. That property alone will tell them apart." When she'd found the order she was looking for, she said, "Ah, here we are!" before gently holding up the back of Remus's head to help him drink from the tubes. She tipped each glass to his lips, one by one, until they had all been consumed.

"Feeling any better?" She inquired as Remus licked his lips in disgust.

"Yeah, actually… You really are pretty good at this, Eve," he complimented, taking her hand in his and giving it a light squeeze. His ribs tingled and grew warm, and then his arm, and then his ankle, as the bones there reset themselves and began to knit back together.

"I try," she replied playfully, squeezing his hand in return.

One side of him was yelling to tell her she needn't take care of him, that she had other, more important, things to do. But the other side, the side that wanted to be cared for and looked after, won, and he kept quiet on the matter, rather liking the extra help in the healing process and secretly wanting it to continue, although feeling guilty for this thought.

Eve checked her watch and said, "Ooh, look, I'm sorry, Remus, but I need to go to class. Will you be alright while I'm gone?" She took to fluffing up his pillow and tucking him in nice and snug.

"Yes, I'm sure I'll manage," Remus teased with a wink to show she didn't have to worry about him while she was gone.

"Good," she murmured before smooching his forehead. He cautiously leaned up and pressed his lips lightly to her jaw before resting back down onto his pillow. She smiled at him for a moment before pulling her book bag onto her shoulder and, blowing him one last kiss, walking out of the Hospital Wing and to class.

.x:X:x.

Eve walked through the doors of the Hospital Wing, waving politely at Madam Pomfrey, who only gave her a solid gaze as if to say, 'Remember what I told you about the curtain.'

Upon arriving at the young wizard's cot, she gasped at the color that now brightened up his face, his sitting up in bed, and his obviously healed bones. He'd even been chatting animatedly to Sirius when she walked in.

"Oh, Remus, you look _extraordinary!_" Eve exclaimed as she pecked him on the cheek in greeting, chuckling when she heard him grumble something that sounded like, 'You'd better tell me how to get this bloody lipstick off my face sometime.'

"What about _me?_" Sirius asked jestingly as he rose from his chair and strutted along the cot until he came to the end of it. "Don't _I_ look 'extraordinary'?"

With a teasing roll of her eyes, Eve replied, "Yes, yes, of course, Sirius."

The blue-eyed Marauder threw a wink her way before saying to his mate, "Look, I don't want to be a third wheel, so I'm going to go find Prongs and wreak some mischief, alright?"

"Have fun, Padfoot," Remus said, waving at his friend before he nodded and disappeared out the cubicle.

"Oh, look, Eve," he said, reaching beside him on the bed while Eve took a seat next to him, "I have my portion of the history of Circe complete." He showed her the parchment he'd written on. "Now all that's left to do is-"

"The model!" Eve finished for him excitedly, flipping open her backpack and ruffling through it. When she found the textbook she was looking for, she settled her reading glasses onto her nose and turned the pages until she found the proper one. "Alright, we just need to perform a few relatively simple spells, and we're golden. Here are the spells," she tilted the book on the mattress so they could both see the incantations. "How about you make planet Odysseus and I make planet Circe, and then we both work on the sun?"

Remus nodded as he reached for his wand in his robe with only a small amount of pain causing him to flinch and wince. "Sounds good to me."

For the next eight minutes, they performed spell after spell to get their respective planets to be the proper shapes, sizes, and colors. Remus made Odysseus to be a swirling mix of multiple hues of blue in an elliptical shape, while Eve made Circe circular with a deep, royal purple coloration and several yellow areas speckling it.

Their creations plopped down into their hands, and Eve reminded Remus, "They need the sun to remain floating and in orbit."

Shifting so that she was parallel to Remus and his arm gently encircled her shoulders, he said, "Hmm… so how do we want our sun to be?"

"I want our sun to be different… to be the best sun there ever was," Eve replied playfully with a tiny smirk.

Madam Pomfrey, who was pouring potion over a burn on a student's arm in the cot next to Remus's, overheard Eve and Remus talking about making a son, and quickly ran over to his cubicle, calling out, "You two, no shenanigans, or I will have to-" When she found them sitting innocently together on his bed, with orbs in each of their hands and their wands in the other, she cleared her throat and, with a light pink dusting her cheeks in embarrassment, replied, "Yes, well… ahem, carry on," and walked back over to the burnt student.

Remus and Eve blinked at the interruption before getting back to the task at hand. "Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to make it a bright, off-white color instead of yellow."

"That sounds just fine to me," Remus assured her while burying a sweet smooch into her hair, causing her to smile.

The pair aimed their wands at the same place in the air and murmured the incantation together, watching as a cream-colored flame swirled into existence and grew until it was the size of four fists put together. Eve and Remus felt a tug in their hands, and they knew the planets were gravitating toward the sun. They released Odysseus and Circe and watched them revolve and rotate, grinning brightly all the while.

"Oh, Remus… It's so beautiful!" Eve exclaimed, beaming at their creation as it emitted a soft light.

"Yes, it is," he replied with a smile at Eve's excitement.

They sat in comfortable silence for a long while, every so often exchanging a peck to the cheek or saying something to one another, until Eve checked her watch again and told him, "Mm, it's time to go to sleep. Are you going back to the boys' dormitory, or…?"

"No, Madam Pomfrey wants me to stay the night since my wounds were so bad," Remus replied disappointedly. Inspiration struck him and he asked enthusiastically, "Hey, would you like to go star-gazing tomorrow night in honor of us finishing our project with a bit of time to spare? I'll even bring food, and all you have to bring is yourself and your appetite. How about it, Eve?"

With a wide smile that scrunched up her nose in just the way Remus liked, Eve replied happily, "It's a date."

**Author's Note: **Thanks so much to everyone who leaves reviews! And now, I'd like to acknowledge those who've left reviews. This is in chronological order of when the reviews were given since chapter ten.

_Captain Saru_: Thank you so much for leaving me a review each chapter! I really look forward to hearing from you, and you know how much I value your opinion. You always have something funny to say, as well as something that makes my day. Your encouragement helps keep me motivated to continue writing this fanfiction, and I am grateful for it. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts through reviews!

_MoonNightLover_: I'm glad that you got excited over the ball scene, and that you liked how it turned out. I love hearing your thoughts and opinions on the fanfiction, as they really make me think about future chapters. I'm happy that you're so enthusiastic about getting Remus and Eve together, as that tells me I'm doing a good job with writing up their characters. I always look forward to getting reviews from you. Thank you so much for reviewing, and I hope to hear more of your thoughts through reviews!

_SailingAwaySoftly_: I'm sorry that you've been so busy; I miss hearing from you each chapter, it's been a while since you've reviewed. Thank you, I'm glad you like the way I write Remus. I'm happy that you liked how things played out with Sirius asking Eve to the ball first; it was important to the plot that that happened. Thank you so much for your feedback on this fanfiction; they are very much appreciated. I always look forward to getting reviews from you. I thank you for your reviews, and I hope to hear more of your thoughts very soon through more of them!

_xxmoonowlxx:_ Thank you very much; I'm glad you think this fanfiction is 'awesome'. I'd love to hear more from you in your reviews!

_Aljinon_: First off, I thank you very much for putting this fanfiction into your archive; I appreciate it very much! I enjoy hearing from you on this fanfiction, as your comments mean a lot to me. Aw, I'm sorry that chapter made you cry. I have how the werewolf secret will be revealed all planned out. I'm glad you identify with Eve; that tells me that I'm writing her in a believable manner. Thank you so much for reviewing! I always look forward to getting reviews from you. I hope to hear your thoughts in the future through reviews!

_BlaireVolturi_: Thanks, I'm glad you like the way Remus is written in this. I'm always so happy to read about your enthusiasm for this fanfiction, and I always look forward to getting reviews from you. I'm happy to read how excited you are for Remus and Eve to get together, as it tells me that I'm writing their characters properly and in a believable manner. Yes, I know what you mean about other fanfictions where the character Remus eventually ends up with being with Sirius first, though, obviously, that's not happening here. Thank you for thinking so highly of the direction I'm taking this fanfiction. Why, thank you very much! I'm glad you feel that this fanfiction is your favorite, and that you like Remus and Eve as a couple. I hope you liked this chapter, and I hope to hear your thoughts in future reviews!

_Xtyne_: Thank you! I'm glad you feel so strongly about the plot and the way I write the characters. I'm glad you're "excited to read more" and that you're "totally rooting for her and Remus"! I look forward to hearing from you in the future through reviews!

_SilverSkulblaka_: Nope, no Sirius girlfriend stealing from Remus in this fanfiction. I'm happy to hear that you want Remus and Eve to get together. Aha, yes, Sirius can definitely be helpful! I can't wait to hear your thoughts through future reviews!

_Meg_: Thank you very much for the compliments! I'd enjoy hearing more from you through future reviews!

_Collylocks_: Thank you, I'm glad you like this story enough to read all the chapters in one night! I'm happy you like the flow of this fanfiction, and that you like how it's based around astronomy. I look forward to hearing more from you through future reviews!

_Artemis13_: I'm glad you "love" this fanfiction, and that you enjoy my writing. I hope to hear more from you in future reviews!

_Manson_: I'm glad you liked the chapter! I hope to hear more from you in future reviews!

_4ever.n.ever_: I'm happy you "love" this fanfiction, and that you look forward to reading more. I'd like to hear more from you through reviews!

_detective CelestialGazer42_: I'm very pleased to read that you feel this fanfiction is the "best marauder fic", and that it's "most in character". I'm happy you like how Remus is portrayed in this. I hope to hear more from you through reviews!

_Riley Black:_ I'm glad that you enjoy the fanfiction. Ah, yes, Eve and Anna certainly do seem to have an interesting friendship, don't they? I look forward to hearing more from you through reviews!

_Caity_: Why, thank you very much, I'm happy you like my writing, and that this fanfiction is amongst your favorites. I hope to hear more from you through reviews!

_The Silver Huntress_: I'm very happy to hear that you consider this fanfiction the "Best.Story.Ever" and a "great story." I'm glad you feel that the writing is realistic, as that let's me know I'm going in the right direction with this. I look forward to hearing your thoughts through future reviews!

_Dreameater_: How clever you are for predicting Eve would be shown Remus's sketchbook! I understand perfectly where you're coming from with your 'long lost friends' and 'tragic pasts' comment, but, if I may, I'd like to explain why I feel it is different in this fanfiction. In some fanfictions, when a canon character and an original character realize that they've met before, they become even closer friends than the canon character was with his or her best friends, who he or she has known for quite some time, even after the canon and original character haven't seen each other for months or years. That is a Mary-Sue quality, to me, anyway, which is why I didn't have everything work out like that, as we can see that Eve and Remus aren't better friends than he is with the Marauders. Also, for the tragic past part, plenty of characters in the _Harry Potter_ universe have tragic pasts (Harry Potter himself, Sirius Black, Lily Evans with her sister's disapproval of magic, Remus Lupin, et cetera). If it's leading to unnecessary angst or over-dramatics, which it isn't in this fanfiction, then that is a Mary-Sue quality to me. I just wanted to explain myself, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this in a review. :) I always look forward to receiving reviews from you because of your honest feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed the ball scene in this fanfiction and the way it was written; I always try my best. I'm happy that you "love, love, love" this fanfiction, and that it's one of your favorites. I eagerly look forward to hearing your thoughts through future reviews!

_Johanna Black_: Aha, I promise to do my best in updating each Sunday. I hope to hear from you from future reviews!

_The Silverdark Knight_: Ooh, I already have Eve's discovery of Remus's secret all planned out. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I hope to hear your thoughts on this fanfiction through future reviews!

_Beautiful Bluebird_: Why, thank you very much! I'm glad you "love" this fanfiction! I'm happy you like how it's written and how the plot is unfolding. If you don't mind my asking, what makes you like Eve so much as an original character? I just want to know for any future fanfictions I write that may involve original characters so I know what I did right with Eve. Oh, don't worry; I have plans for the preschool plotline. I'm happy you like the fanfiction so much that you think about it whenever you hear _The Phantom of the Opera_ music. Aha, I'm glad you're so excited about Remus and Eve getting together! I always look forward to getting reviews from you. I hope to read more of your comments on this fanfiction through reviews in the future!

_FunkyKiwi_: Thanks; I'm glad to hear that you "love this story". I'm happy that you like my writing style and the way I write the characters. Thank you again, I'm glad you feel this fanfiction is "awesome". I always look forward to getting reviews from you. I can't wait to hear your thoughts through future reviews!

_screamxheart_: I'm glad you think "this story is so cute"! That's an adorable thought, I must say, for them to keep Woofie forever. I'm glad you want Remus and Eve to get together. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this fanfiction through future reviews!

_FeatherDeath_: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this fanfiction in future reviews!

**So, what did everyone think of this chapter? **I'd love to hear your thoughts in your **reviews!**


	18. Two Firsts

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks again for all the reviews; I really learn a lot from them and I appreciate the honest, yet polite, feedback. I really do keep everything that the reviews say in mind while I'm writing up each chapter so I know what I'm doing right. Keep those reviews coming, everyone! I especially enjoy the ones that contain feedback and thoughts on the chapter!

This fanfiction has reached over seven thousand hits this week. Thanks a bunch, guys!

_**Important:**_ There was some concern as to if this fanfiction would end at the completion of Remus and Eve's project, but I can assure everyone that it will _**not**_. I have ideas that go far beyond their project, and, in this point in time, I plan on making this fanfiction last until Remus and Eve's graduation from Hogwarts, and then starting a sequel right after. I hope this clears up any concern that the fanfiction is coming to an end, because it is far from over. :)

Last, but not least, the wonderful **FunkyKiwi **has asked me to write in this chapter's author's note what _I _think of this fanfiction. Well, I, personally, feel that the plot is unfolding nicely in the manner I'd envisioned when I first began writing it. Several people have told me in their reviews that my OC's, plotlines, and writing style are original, creative, and unique. I'd like to follow this up by saying I'm always trying to come up with something new that I've never read about or heard of before, and I can honestly say that, out of all the fanfictions I've read, I've never seen some of the ideas used in this fanfiction, nor the scenes I have planned out for future chapters. I'm not one to be cliché, just as some of the readers have expressed that they've noticed through their reviews, so never expect the expected with me. I love that there are people who enjoy this story, love it, or even consider it to be their favorites because that, to me, means success, and I'd like to, once again, thank those readers who take the time to leave a review with honest, yet polite, feedback. :)

**Publish Date:** Sunday, May 25, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Eighteen: Two Firsts

Arcana purred loudly in Eve's arms as the young witch stroked her soft, thick fur to the beat of her languid breathing. As soon as she smelled the rank, yet subtle, stench of canine, she hunched her back and hissed fiercely at the werewolf as he approached.

"Oh, no you don't!" Eve muttered to her cat, holding onto Arcana's plump body firmly so she couldn't lunge at Remus.

The feline growled to herself, aggravated that the girl couldn't smell the wolf within this boy.

Eve opened the door and guided Arcana through it to allow her freedom for the evening. Turning to Remus as he walked- no, _limped_- toward her.

"Hello, Remus," she greeted warmly. "What happened? Is your ankle still sore?"

"'Lo, Eve," Remus replied before pecking her on the forehead, causing her to smile. Lifting up his foot to gesture at it, he told her, "Yeah, it hasn't healed all the way… at least, I don't think it has."

"Well, let's set up outside, and I'll take a look at it, yes?" Eve offered as Remus wrapped an arm lightly around her shoulders and they left the castle together.

Eve studied Remus under the light of the newly waning moon, and felt realization whisper into the back of her mind.

"Hey, you promised me food, Remus," she playfully teased with a pout that gave Remus the urge to kiss those plump lips until they were smiling once more.

"And food you shall have," he replied with a wink as they approached the lake. "Here looks like as good a place as any." He reached into his cloak pocket and produced a miniature basket and blanket.

"_Engorgio_," he murmured after withdrawing his wand and aiming it at the items in his hand.

"Oh, how clever!" Eve exclaimed in delight, watching as the once-magically-shrunken basket and blanket expanded and grew.

Remus grinned at the witch's excitement. "M'lady," he bowed waggishly and gestured at the blanket. With a giggle at their inside joke, Eve curtsied and took a graceful seat at the center of the hem.

"Now, if you don't mind my saying so," Remus began light-heartedly, digging through the woven basket, "you seemed awfully surprised at my use of magic…"

"Oh, well, um…" the young witch began, nervously fiddling with the sleeve of her deep cherry red, long-sleeved shirt. "See… I'm a muggleborn," she eyed him carefully for a negative reaction before continuing, "so… I don't always think of magic first. Sometimes, I even do something the muggle way before even _thinking_ about using magic. It's just, you know, the way I was raised." She batted her eyes, hoping he wouldn't mind her blood status.

"Ah, I see," Remus said as he pulled out an item that, in the dark, Eve could only describe as a long, winding, and lumpy object. "The same think happens to my mum quite a bit, as she's a muggle; she sometimes forgets to ask my father or me to perform a spell for her that'll only take seconds to accomplish what'll take longer for her to do the muggle way."

Eve released a breath she'd been unaware of holding at the reassurance that he wasn't prejudiced against muggleborns, though she hadn't pinned him to be the type. She'd been called a mudblood way more than she needed or wanted to be in the past from people she hadn't suspected would behave in such a way, so she was a bit more protective of when and to whom she told this little tidbit to.

Remus made a pinching motion over the upright object he'd drawn from the basket and, in the flame he'd magically conjured, Eve saw that it was a twisted, spine-shaped candle.

_Aw, it's a candlelit picnic by the lake!_ Eve thought to herself happily as Remus took a seat right next to her. "That's certainly an interesting-looking candle. Wherever did you get it, Remus?" She inquired curiously. "I've never seen candles like that one before."

"Oh, I got it at Diagon Alley. They really have unique items there, don't they?" He replied with a grimace as his ankle bent and caused an ache to shoot up his leg. The wizard's wince coupled with his reach toward the pain reminded Eve of her promise to him.

"Let's have a look at that ankle, shall we?" She crawled to his foot, rolled up his pant leg and pushed down his sock. Grabbing the candle and directing its light to the joint in question, she gave a tiny hiss at the pink swelling beginning to bubble up.

"Yes, that definitely looks painful… How are your arm and ribs doing?"

"Oh, they're perfectly fine, it's just my ankle that's the bloody problem," Remus explained, extending his hand to tenderly touch the patch of heated flesh.

While Eve lightly checked his swollen ankle, Remus couldn't help but enjoy her gentle touch as it tested his joint to make sure it was healing. However, he also felt a jolt of guilt spike through him for all the time she spent caring for him inside and outside the Hospital Wing, _especially_ since she was helping him on their first date.

"Listen, Eve, you really don't need to keep doing this for me. I certainly appreciate it, but I don't want you to feel like you need to be my own persona Healer, or anything," Remus softly told her.

"Hey," Eve whispered reassuringly with a small smile, placing her dainty hand to his jaw, "I know you're not asking me to help you; I'm doing this because I care about you. 'Sides, it's good practice for when I become a Healer." She grinned and winked. "Your ankle must've just suffered a worse break than your arm and ribs, and it's recuperating right now, which is why it's swollen."

Remus nodded and watched Eve shift in the moonlight to gaze out at the lake. The soft illumination reflecting off the spreading ripples and lapping waves played with her pretty features, making it appear as though she were underwater. The surreal effect astounded him, and he memorized every detail of her captured in that moment so he could draw her later. Who knew; maybe if it came out nice enough, he could give it to her as a present, since she seemed to like his drawings.

He brought his hand up to cup her cheek, caressing it and bending the effect the reflected light had on the flesh there. The witch smiled affectionately up at him in return and blushed when he told her, "You look lovely tonight, Eve… as always, of course."

She looked down into her lap at that, and murmured a shy, "Thank you." After a quiet moment, she added, "You're looking quite dashing, yourself."

"Why, thank you very much, m'lady," he teased her, trying to lighten the timid mood she'd sunk into when he'd complimented her. She chuckled and scooted closer to him on the picnic blanket, allowing him to drape his long arm around her shoulders.

Her shirt caught Remus's eye, as it was a deep shade of red that looked lovely on her, in his opinion, and cut across her shoulders so they were exposed to his fingertips.

The clever Marauder used this information to his advantage as he gently stroked the smooth skin there with the pads of his fingers. He opened his arm a little wider for her as she pulled herself even closer to him, until the curve of her body was a breath away from his. It wasn't until he felt her quiver that he knew why she'd shifted to be so close to him.

"Are you cold?" He asked concernedly, rubbing her shoulder firmly to generate friction.

"No," Eve stubbornly replied, running her hand up and down her arm. When Remus arched his eyebrow in a disbelieving manner, she amended, "Well, yeah, kind of…"

"Well, then, why didn't you say so, silly?" Remus chuckled at her as he shrugged off his cloak and surrounded her small frame in it. "You may drown in it, but it'll have to do. At least you'll keep warm."

"But, won't _you_ be cold?" Eve inquired as she pushed her arms down the sleeves and pulled his cloak tight around her body.

"Nah, I'm fine with the cold," he said. Really, if he could put up with a monthly metamorphosis that left him bed-ridden for at least a day, he could deal with a chilly night.

He noticed with hearty interest that he quite enjoyed the sight of Eve in his cloak, her form devoured by the fabric. Remus was certain that he particularly liked seeing her like this because it, in its own way, marked her as his.

"What?" Eve inquired, trying to push a stray curl out of her face, though the sleeve swallowed her hand and hindered her in even this simple task.

Remus grinned and pulled the strand of hair behind her ear for her. "I quite like seeing you in something of mine," he explained, lightly kissing her face once before gesturing to the basket. "Right, so, I went down to the kitchen and got us a couple different things to have. Let's see…" Remus dug through the basket and pulled out a thermos and two goblets. Pouring the thick, steaming liquid into one chalice, he tempted, "Hmm, is this _hot chocolate?_"

Eve jerked her head up in interest and enthusiastically exclaimed, "Ooh, gimme, gimme, gimme!" She stretched her hands toward him and retrieved the delicious drink, blowing on it before tipping it at her mouth and savoring the first swallow. "Mm… I'm starting to think this is a bit of a tradition we have here, meeting outside after dark and enjoying hot chocolate together."

Remus grinned at this and replied, "Well, it _is_ a nice tradition to have."

She set the hot chocolate aside after another gulp and laid down, her hair splaying beneath her head. Remus burrowed through the basket some more and pulled out…

"Cookies? Pretzels? I know it's not much, but it's all the elves in the kitchen said they could spare, so…" He smiled apologetically at his meager offering.

"Oh, it's perfectly fine, Remus; we really don't need all that much food, anyway. I'll take a couple of cookies, if you don't mind." She reached out to him, and he pressed several treats into her hand before lying down and wrapping an arm around her.

Eve curled up next to him and nibbled on her cookie as the pair gazed up at the blinking stars, smiling down at the two from the edges of the universe.

"What d'you s'pose they're saying?" Remus inquired as he soaked up her warmth and shared with her some of his own.

"What do I suppose who is saying… _What_?" Eve asked confusedly. Her arm found its way carefully across his chest and she lightly stroked his jaw line.

"The stars," he reminded her with a jesting wink, hoping she recalled what she'd said the last time they went star-gazing, and she'd explained astrology to him.

"Oh, right," Eve said with a smirk before studying the stars. She teasingly replied after a minute, "They're saying that I owe you a kiss for this wonderful evening." The girl leaned over her grinning partner and smooched his cheek once.

She was about to pull away when Remus held firmly onto her arms and said, "Nah, I think you misunderstood; the stars _actually_ said that you owe me 'kiss_es_' for this date." He wriggled his eyebrows up at her, causing her to giggle 

before she obliged his request, bobbing her head as she planted a few more smooches onto his face, though leaving his lips bare.

Eve settled back down next to him after polishing off half her hot chocolate and, lightly poking him in the side, inquired, "Show me the constellations?"

Remus smiled down at the curly head of his girl before pointing into the sky. "Sirius would cast the killing curse on me if I didn't introduce him first. See those stars over there?" His finger traced a strand of stars. "Sirius is the brightest one."

Eve chuckled and playfully waved up at Sirius before inquiring, "How did Sirius Black get all the way up there?"

He smirked before moving to another constellation and explaining, "Now, Sirius's middle name is Orion, so he showed me once that Orion was just over there."

Eve squinted, unable to decipher the constellation of Orion from other stars around it. "Wait… _Where_ is Orion?"

The wizard pulled Eve's hand up and directed it to the group of stars he was speaking about, and moved her head to rest on his shoulder closer to his face. "See, it's there," he guided her hand across, "and up," he moved her finger up, "and then just to there," he extended the shape her hand was making.

"Oh, I see it! Orion," Eve exclaimed, giggling at the kiss at the back of her hand she received as a reward.

"That's just about the extent of my knowledge in regards to the stars, I'm afraid, other than the obvious ones like the Big and Little Dipper and of the like." Remus waved a dismissive hand to the mentioned constellations before Eve spoke.

"Well, I'm going to make up a constellation." Eve followed this declaration of hers up by grasping his hand and pointing out two bright stars. "See, those two stars? And then there…" She drew his hand along an upward curve of stars. Grinning, she told him, "That's the Remus Lupin constellation. The two stars are your eyes, and the string of stars is your smile."

He laughed merrily at the thought of having his own constellation, especially one that stretched completely across the sky. For the thought, he pecked the tip of Eve's nose and lightly stroked her cheek, gazing into her clear, gray eyes. Merlin, she was effulgent, even when nothing but the stars and moon were illuminating her features. His eyes dropped to her lips, and he wanted nothing more at that moment than to finally taste those tempting, pink gates to what he was certain was paradise.

"Eve, may I… kiss you?" Remus asked politely. The last thing he wanted was to plant one on her and be rejected.

Eve's lips slowly curved upward into a blinding smile at his request for her permission. Really, how many girls could say that they were asked for consent before their first kiss was granted to them?

She couldn't help but tease him a little, however, as she batted her eyelashes innocently and inquired, just as they'd previously reminisced had been said when they were in preschool together, "Is that the thing your Mummy and Daddy do, Mussy?"

The two chuckled before Eve bit on her lower lip once and replied, "Of course you may kiss me, Remus."

Rubbing the side of her face soothingly, Remus next instructed, just as his younger self had once done, "Close your eyes."

She obeyed, allowing the wizard to study her for a moment. She looked so peaceful, Eve did, with her face exposed under the light of the not-so-full moon. Her lips were slightly puckered, making them look even fuller and more kissable than usual.

Eve couldn't imagine what was taking Remus so long to kiss her, already; how much time could it possibly take to prepare for a simple first kiss?

She felt as his finger lifted up her chin, and then as his warm lips melded with hers. Melting into the touch, she pressed her mouth back into his. She felt heat course through her body until it lit a fire within her very toes, it seemed, and cooed lightly to him before placing her hand at his ear and lightly ruffling the hair behind it.

The young woman thought she felt a few drops of liquid cold hit her skin, but she ignored the feeling, preferring the kiss she was now sharing with her Remus. Although there was nothing but lips to it, she knew it was one of the most affectionate kisses she had ever received.

Suddenly, she felt a whole wave of icy water fall from the sky and hit her, and she jackknifed with a screech, though it was drowned out by a crack of thunder in the unexpected downpour of rain.

Lighting sliced through the sky like a giant dagger, causing the couple to spring to their feet. Remus waved his wand and must've cast a spell to shrink down the picnic area, although Eve couldn't hear over the pounding of water. Taking her hand, Remus sprinted alongside Eve toward the castle, splashing through puddles and mud along the way, not stopping until they were standing in the Gryffindor Common Room.

Once they had stopped running, they panted, chuckling at each other all the while as they headed for a window seat.

"Well, that was-" Remus began, reaching down to massage the low throbbing in his injured ankle.

"Yeah," Eve finished for him, knowing what he meant without him having to say it.

Remus reached into the outer pocket of his cloak that the witch was currently wearing and said, "No worries, though, I'll have us dry quicker than-"

"No, wait," Eve started, reaching up and catching his hand in hers, "let's do this the muggle way." She wrung out her hair, causing practically a pondful of water to gather on the hardwood floor.

He looked at her confusedly for a moment, but allowed her to take his wand and store it in his cloak once again. With that, she directed him to sit down on the window seat, and pushed him back until he was leaning against the pane. Eve sat beside him, and rested against him until he caught on and wrapped his arms around her, watching the display of lightning through the window as they held each other. Remus couldn't help but wonder if muggles liked to stay wet after being rained on, but soon lacked an interest in knowing the answer, as he was finding he rather enjoyed holding his Eve for warmth from the cold rain.

After a while of snuggling in comfortable silence, a content Eve told Remus, "Mm, this has been a lovely date, Remus."

No reply came except for even breathing and a slight snore. Knitting her brows, Eve looked up and found that Remus had fallen asleep.

_Oh, poor thing. He's probably still tired out from spending yesterday in the Hospital Wing_.

Chuckling lightly to herself, she slowly untangled herself from his arms and pulled off his cloak, draping it over him before caressing his smooth forehead and dropping a kiss to his luscious lips.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Remus," she whispered into his ear, receiving only a grunt in reply. She grinned and turned to walk up the stairs that led to the girls' dormitory. She thought would've enjoyed sleeping in his arms for the night, but felt that was a bit much for a first date.

As she walked into the bathroom to change into her nightgown, she couldn't help but think with a small smile of irony that, had Anna not helped Remus get her jealous, none of this would've happened…

She'd have to pay Anna a visit the next day.

**Author's Note:** _Question to the readers_: Several readers have reviewed either questioning or commenting on how Eve will learn of Remus's being a werewolf. While I already have that scene planned out, I'm curious to see how everyone believes she'll discover his lycanthropy? Please answer this question in your next review! Even if you don't have an idea, please leave **reviews!** They really help keep me motivated to continue this fanfiction!


	19. Day of the Project: Part One: Morning

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** I was pleasantly surprised by the abundance of reviews I got this week. Thanks, everyone; keep it up! They really help me continue writing this fanfiction! To all the new readers who reviewed, welcome! I hope everyone is enjoying the fanfiction!

The hits reached over eight thousand this week. Thanks again, everyone!

After reading what those who reviewed had to say about their likes and dislikes regarding how they like an OC to discover Remus's lycanthropy, I can say that the way I have it planned out is most likely going to be enjoyed by the readers. Thanks a bunch to those who reviewed for the feedback!

And lastly, to **FunkyKiwi**, who has asked if Eve would turn into a werewolf if bitten by Remus in his human form; I have to say that it depends. If it were a serious bite, like one that broke the skin until she was bleeding, then, yes, she would become a werewolf, as the lycanthropy in his saliva would transfer over to her bloodstream (though, I suppose this could vary from writer to writer). If it were that "plausible situation" you wrote in, such as a playful nibble, then, no, she would not be turned into a werewolf because there was no saliva-to-blood contact. Thanks for the great question!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, June 1, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Nineteen: Day of the Project: Part One: Morning

Eve snuggled Woofie in her sleep, and gently squeezed the stuffed animal in her arms when her eyelids fluttered and she was retrieved from a nice, deep sleep filled with memories of the date she and Remus had shared.

Stretching her arms before relaxing onto the bed, Eve set the wolf puppy on her stomach and stroked the worn fur between his ears. "Mm, Woofie… I had the most marvelous time last night."

She had decided to sleep with the stuffed animal in her embrace to elongate the feelings she had felt with Remus, as Woofie made her think only of him, and, as it turned out, it worked; she'd awoken in a much better mood than she usually did, especially on a day when she'd have to present a project before her classmates.

For a while, Eve stroked Woofie from the top of his head to the tip of his tail while whispering to him all that had happened the night before on their date, stopping every once in a while to giggle or smile lightly to herself in reminiscence of how utterly perfect it had been, even when it had begun to rain. Woofie, of course, as the good wolf pup he was, listened intently to every word that slipped from Eve's smiling mouth, or, at least, she liked to imagine he did.

Right as Eve was describing how adorable and peaceful Remus looked when he had fallen asleep on the windowsill and she'd had to leave him to go to sleep, herself, she heard muffled laughter emanating from the four-poster next to hers, and turned to find in it a lump curled beneath the blanket, quivering as it chuckled, with bright red hair trailing from it.

"I'm so… so sorry, Eve," the lump continued to giggle, "I honestly didn't mean to eavesdrop, but… I woke up and suddenly heard something about Remus falling asleep on a date, and it struck me as so amusing, I… I couldn't help but laugh!"

The covers were thrown off and Lily emerged, like a butterfly from her cocoon, red from giggling. "Who _are_ you talking to, anyway?"

Eve gave a sheepish grin and nodded to the stuffed animal balanced on her stomach. "I just… wanted to vocalize to someone- or, rather, some_thing_- what had happened on our date, you know, just to relive it, in a way." Turning to lie on her side, she propped her cheek up with the heel of her hand and said, "I guess I just want to… assure myself that everything really did happen. It was lovely, really, Lily, it couldn't have gone any better than it did."

Lily smiled lightly at, who she was starting to consider as being, her friend. Gazing into the other girl's face, she could tell by how wide her smile was, how pink her cheeks and neck were, and how she was fiddling with the stuffed animal's ear that she was delighted with the date Remus and she had gone on the previous night, and that she quite fancied the young man.

"Understandable," she responded while pulling the comforter up to her chest. "I mean, when I first started courting James, I couldn't shut up about him when I was with my closest friends. It's fun to talk about these things, if only to remember them."

Eve bobbed her head, a tiny grin on her face, before adding on, "It's especially fun talking about firsts, like first dates or first kisses." The grin only widened, and she squeezed Woofie even closer to her body when she mentally relived her first kiss with Remus. It had been so powerful, so bewitching, and yet so simple and sweet all at the same time. Plus, asking for her permission beforehand was the frosting on the cake; how could anyone get to be more of a gentleman than Remus?

After conversing and giggling for only a few minutes more, Eve told Lily with a mischievous giggle, "I should really be going; I have to wake Remus up, if he didn't already do so in the middle of the night to go back to his dormitory."

Lily chuckled. "You do that. I'm going to stay here and see if I can't catch a little more shut-eye; my first class starts a little later today, and I intend to take full advantage of that."

Within a half-hour, Eve was showered, dressed, and ready to start her day. Lightly padding down the stairs, she craned her neck to see if Remus was still lying on the windowsill and, lo and behold, there he was, snoozing away. It actually was adorable the way he was splayed 

out on the bench, with one foot resting on the floor and the other one- the one that was attached to his injured ankle- kept on the cushion with the rest of his body. His hands arms were resting in a circle on his stomach, as if Eve were still occupying them, and she saw him reach out once as if he were trying to find her and hold her close while he slumbered.

Eve's features softened at the gesture as she wondered to herself, _How many times last night has he tried to find me like that?_ Her thoughts were sliced through when he smacked his lips together loudly, and turned his head to the right.

Descending the last remaining stairs, she approached the sleeping wizard before brushing his bangs away from his forehead. His peaceful features looked so soft in the light of the new day's sun shining through the window, that she felt the urge to lightly stroke his skin. Giving into that yearning made a tender smile blossom on his sleeping features.

She remembered his ankle then, and leaned down to check it for any sign of still being sore. When she rolled down his sock, she felt shock strike through her- the swelling had completely disintegrated! His ankle looked as good as new! A quick physical check, where she lightly felt his ankle, assured her that it was healed completely, now.

Taking a seat beside him, she felt his arms reach out for her once again, and this time, caught her around the waist and pulled her to him, causing her to giggle lightly. Eve rested her hands on his chest while she pecked his cheek once and murmured into his ear, "Remus, it's time to wake up."

He murmured something, and then shifted in his spot as he leaned against he windowpane.

"What was that?" Eve egged on, believing him to still be asleep.

Remus said it again, only a little louder that time, but it was still incoherent to her.

"Huh?" She asked confusedly before lowering her ear to his lips to see if she could make out what he was saying.

"I said, 'It's going to take more than just a kiss on the cheek to wake me up.'"

"Oh!" She giggled with surprise into her fingers. "Just how long have you been awake, Mr. Lupin?" She inquired suspiciously.

"Long enough to know that I need a kiss to wake up this morning," he said groggily, though with a Marauder-esque grin on his face.

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Eve laughed while shaking her head. She gazed up at his smirking lips for a moment before leaning up and pressing her mouth to them, feeling them shift from the form of a wide grin into a pucker.

Sirius, James, and Peter yawned as they sleepily dragged themselves down the stairs. When they finally opened their eyes wide enough while entering the common room, they found a very happy couple lost in their own world on the windowsill.

Sirius gave a mischievous grin and directed it James and Peter's way until they caught on. The three snuck over to the witch and wizard and, with a nod to show when to begin, they started howling, whooping, and making catcalls. Sure they were happy their friend had landed the girl he fancied, but, as Marauders, it was their job- nay, their duty- to embarrass him just a little every once in a while.

Eve gasped and pulled away from the lips-only kiss and, after catching a glance of Remus's friends teasing them, she squeaked and buried her head into his chest to avoid meeting their eyes. Remus soothingly ran his fingertips up and down along her spine, chuckling lightly at the blush that crept along her neck in embarrassment.

"C'mon, guys, cut it out," Remus lightly said before dropping his voice altogether and mouthing, "She must be snog shy."

The three Marauders, smirking at one another for the tiny prank they'd just pulled, nodded in understanding. 'Snog shy' was a term they, themselves, invented for people who didn't like an audience when they were kissing someone for longer than a moment.

"Ah, gotchya, Moons. Eh, we have to have _some_ fun, don't we, mates?" Sirius asked James and Peter, the latter of whom was gazing at Eve and thinking about what he'd give to have Narcissa truly fancy him like the Gryffindor witch did Remus. "We'll leave you two alone, now, then. And, Moony," Sirius said playfully with a teasing wink, "don't do anything I wouldn't do." He left through the portrait hole, laughing, while Peter and James followed behind.

Eve finally looked up again, and Remus found that her face was just as maroon as her neck was. With an embarrassed grin, she said, "S-Sorry… I don't like onlookers… when we're having a private moment."

Pressing a smooch to her forehead, Remus assured her, "It's alright, Eve. I understand. I'd prefer to have my privacy, too." There was a pause before he pecked her temple and, easing her up into a sitting position, said, "I'm… terribly sorry I fell asleep last night… and when we were having such a nice time watching the thunder storm, too."

"Oh, don't worry about it; I'm sure you were just a little worn out from healing from your injuries," Eve said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Thank you," he told her, smooching her cheek once. "I should shower and change. Why don't you head off to the Great Hall, and I'll meet up with you there?"

Eve nodded, "Alright, if you're sure you don't want me to wait up for you."

He shook his head. "Nah, go. Save me a seat. I'll be down shortly."

They exchanged a peck to each cheek before parting ways. When Eve entered the Great Hall, she took a seat right away on a bench at the Gryffindor table and placed her book bag right next to her to reserve the spot for Remus. Eve began piling a bit of food onto a plate for herself. Just as she was sipping pumpkin juice from her goblet, she felt the bench shift beneath her, and she glanced up at the previously unoccupied space to find Anna sitting next to her.

"H-Hey," the blonde greeted nervously. She fiddled lightly with the sleeve of her robe and, licking her lower lip, said, "Before you say anything, please, let me speak first. I never went to the ball with Remus to seek retaliation for you going with Sirius-"

"And I didn't go with Sirius to hurt you-"

"I know that," Anna assured her best friend with an offering of a smile. "I… I went because… Well… We had this idea that-"

"-That you would make Sirius jealous with Remus, and Remus would make me jealous with you."

The Ravenclaw narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the Gryffindor. "Yeah… and, I never meant to hurt you or anything, and I never meant when I flirted-"

"-With Remus because it was all just an act," Eve finished for her.

"Okay, you are getting _way_ too good at reading those tarot cards, Eve," Anna said, eyes widening spookily.

Eve burst into laughter. "No, no, no, Sirius pulled me aside later and told me what was happening. He'd figured it all out on his own."

Anna adopted a dreamy-eyed look for a moment before she said, "Mm, I knew my Sirius had brawn _and _brains!"

The curly-haired witch giggled, and soon the two found themselves laughing together, just as they did when they weren't in the middle of a fight.

"I… I just want to say… I am sorry… if I hurt your feelings that night, Eve," Anna told her, pleading with her bright, blue eyes for her to forgive.

"It's alright… just don't ever do it again, okay?" Eve firmly told her with an arched eyebrow.

"Promise!" Anna exclaimed before reaching out to hug her best friend.

Embracing the Ravenclaw happily, Eve turned to murmur into her ear, grinning at the response she knew she was going to receive when she told her, "Besides, if it weren't for you following along on that little scheme, I wouldn't be seeing Remus right now."

Anna pulled away sharply and gasped, "You mean you… and Remus… You're… ?"

"We're still unofficial, but… yeah, we're… And we had our first date yesterday, and… Oh, hello, Remus," Eve greeted as Remus trotted down the aisle between tables, waving at a few of his friends along the way.

"'Lo, again, Eve," he said contentedly as he leaned down to press a light kiss to her cheek.

Anna's face was elongated and expressed perfectly for the loud, long squeal that followed, and the Gryffindor couple felt the need to grimace and press their hands over their ears to muffle out the sound.

"Oh, congratulations, you two! Really, I'm so happy for the both of you! I… Eee!" She squealed again before pulling Eve into a bruising hug. Rising up onto her feet, she pointed a firm finger at her friend and told her seriously, "You and I are having a talk about that date later on, Missy. I want to hear every last detail!" With a last wave at the two of them, she practically skipped away, looking over her shoulder every so often at the two of them. The last time she did, she bumped into someone, nearly toppling them both onto the ground, and profusely stuttered out an apology.

Eve, after watching this little incident unfold from a distance, chuckled and turned to Remus and, nudging him, teased, "Hmm, it appears as if we have a fan."

He chuckled as he took a bite out of his bacon and reminded her, "Oh, we have to present our Astronomy project today, don't we?"

Eve nodded and said, "Yes, we do. I have the model in my bedside table. I just want to throw a few stars on it before we present it."

After wiping his mouth with his napkin, he offered, "Perhaps we should get together one more time in the afternoon to run through what we're going to say? That way, we know what we're doing when we get up in front of the class."

"Sounds like a plan," Eve said before they kissed each other on the cheek to seal the deal.

**Author's Note:** _Question for the readers:_ Many reviewers have written that they really like and enjoy Remus being with Eve, and some claim that they like this better than other Remus and OC pairings. What is it that everyone likes so much about their relationship? I can't wait to hear what you have to say when you leave **reviews!**


	20. Day of the Project: Part Two: Afternoon

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I enjoy all the reviews I've gotten so far, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback for this chapter and for future chapters! There was concern from one of the reviewers about having too long of a review, but I'd like to say now that **no review is too long**. Any feedback you'd like to politely give on this fanfiction, please do so, and don't be worried if you feel it is too long. In fact, although I love getting reviews of any length, I really enjoy longer reviews. Please continue to leave **reviews!**

This fanfiction reached over nine thousand hits this week. Thanks a bunch, everyone!

My apologies for being unable to update last week; something important came up that I needed to do. I did, however, post in my profile that I wouldn't be able to post the new chapter, so please keep checking it for updates. The good news is that I should now have more time to write, so I should be able to update on time for a while.

I should be able to reply to reviews by the next chapter. Speaking of reviews, I've gotten a couple of questions as to when Eve will learn of Remus's lycanthropy. **If you want to know when, continue reading this paragraph, if you don't, then skip the rest of this paragrpah.** The way I currently have this planned out, it will occur sometime within the next few chapters, though this may change if I have a new idea.

**Publish Date:** Sunday, June 15, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Twenty: Day of the Project: Part Two: Afternoon

_Werewolves, in their transformed states, are among the most dangerous creatures of the magical world. Their ability to spread the curse within them with just a single bite is unique to their species alone. Although this characteristic seems similar to that of vampires, these nocturnal beings need not only to consume a certain amount of their victims' blood through a bite, but also to allow the human to drink some of their blood in return._

_Although they are exceptionally dangerous, werewolves can pass as normal humans any time other than the full moon as anyone at all._

"Remus!" Anna exclaimed when she found her best friend in the library slaving over her Defense Against the Dark Arts essay on werewolves. Pulling a chair up close to Eve, Anna continued, touching her lightly on the arm, "You have to tell me all about your date with Remus! Was it good? Was it really romantic?" She asked with a wide grin on her face and a glimmer in her eye that made Eve believe that she'd been waiting all morning to ask her these questions.

Eve turned away from her parchment and the textbook she was using as a source of information and, smiling dreamily in remembrance, replied while setting down her quill, "Oh, Anna, it was perfect. We met outside by the lake to stargaze-"

Anna gave a tiny squeal, though it earned a glare from the librarian, so she silenced herself and scooted her chair closer to Eve's as the brunette continued in hushed tones, "Right, as I was saying, we met to stargaze, and he thoughtfully brought a blanket for us to share. We were talking and- Oh, did I mention he even lit a candle for us?"

Anna bit on the tip of her tongue, trying to contain her excitement, causing Eve to cover her mouth to muffle her chuckles.

"And then he realized I was getting cold, so he lent me his cloak, and we laid back to look at the stars and eat. He pointed out a couple constellations to me… and then…"

The Ravenclaw witch was gazing at Eve wide-eyed with baited breath, and on the edge of her seat as if she were in the middle of watching a muggle movie right when it was getting good. "What happened? What happened?"

With an impish grin, Eve continued while plucking up her quill and pretending to turn back to her work, "Sorry, Anna; I don't _kiss_ and tell."

Anna clapped her hands once and asked excitedly, "You kissed him? What was it like? Is he a good kisser?"

Eve blushed slightly at the thought of actually disclosing to the blonde what her first kiss with Remus had been like. Even though she was her best friend and would only be describing a simple smooch, she felt that it had been a somewhat intimate moment, one that should remain between boyfriend and girlfriend. Besides, she wanted a little bit of privacy where she and Remus were concerned.

"Without delving into _too_ much detail," Eve began, watching in amusement as Anna's face rearranged to hold a pout, "it was very nice. Sweet. Oh, and the best part was," she lightly touched Anna's hand and beamed, "he _asked for my permission_ first."

Anna's expression softened as if she had just caught sight of an adorable baby unicorn before it hardened again and she whined, "Hey! Sirius didn't ask _me_ before he kissed me for the first time!"

Madam Pince pressed her finger against her lips and sternly shushed the two.

Rolling her eyes, Eve packed her belongings and swung her book bag over her shoulder. "Come along, Anna, I want to actually be able to talk to you without worrying about some bored librarian eavesdropping on us for a bit of entertainment," she whispered to her before they shared a tiny giggle.

As they strolled toward the exit, Anna nudged Eve playfully with her shoulder and inquired, "So, are you going to seal the deal with Remus and become an official couple, or are you going to leave it as is?"

"Well… what we have now is sort of complicated, but… we know pretty much where we stand, nonetheless." She replied as she stopped off to the side of the door to the library and leaned back against the wall. "Of course I'd like to make our relationship official, but it's just… I don't want to rush this and scare him off, you know?"

Anna nodded, as she knew that plenty of the wizards in Hogwarts were apparently allergic to commitment. However, she also couldn't help but notice that, when the Triwizard tournament came around and the Durmstrang wizards were flirting with the girls the Hogwarts boys fancied, that in itself seemed to be a powerful antidote to this allergy, and a fast-working one, at that. Although she didn't know Remus exceptionally well, the little she knew about him made her believe that he wasn't like this.

"At any rate," Eve continued, shifting her tie around at her throat, "I've decided that I'll see how this goes for a while, maybe a couple weeks, and if I still feel good about having a relationship with him, I'll ask to make us an official couple. I feel that's enough time, don't you?" She waited until Anna nodded before continuing, "And… And if he doesn't want to make it official, but he wants to continue to be an unofficial item, well… no boy who's like that is worth my time. I mean… as much as I fancy him, I have to be true to myself, because… because I'm only interested in a long-term relationship, not lots of boyfriends at random intervals and short-term… relationships…"

Anna bobbed her head sympathetically and wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Come now, Eve, how could a guy say 'no' to a chance at a long-term relationship with you? 'Sides, we both know Remus really fancies you."

The Gryffindor grinned a little and embraced the girl opposite her, whispering, "Thank you," into her ear.

When they pulled away, Eve noticed Remus striding toward them, and she said apologetically, "Here he comes. We have to practice for our project presentation."

"Say no more, I'm gone," Anna teased with a wave. "'Sides," she continued as she backed away, "I'm due to meet up with Sirius." With that, she turned and strutted off.

"'Lo, Eve," Remus greeted, pecking the corner of her mouth, causing her to grin. "Ready to do this?"

"Mm-hm. Could we practice outside, though?" Eve inquired, looping her arm through his and starting to walk toward the entrance of the school with him. "It's such a beautiful day out. That, and I do believe Madam Pince is being even more meticulous about the volume level in the library than usual."

Remus chuckled and agreed. "Whatever you want, Eve."

The pair strolled outside to the spot on the lake they'd sat the night before, and Remus chivalrously shed his uniform's robes for his Eve to sit on. "Can't allow a lady to sit on the grass and risk a grass stain, now can I?" He pointed out with a playful wink. The gesture earned him a smooch on the lips from the witch.

"Right, so… I brought the model with me," Eve pulled out a smaller version of their model from her book bag after she'd taken a seat on his robes and Remus sat cross-legged on the grass beside to her with his arm around her back and his hand resting on her waist. She noticed that he'd not only placed his hand there, but also added a little pressure, as if he wanted to silently reassure her of his hand's whereabouts and promise her that it wouldn't wander. The thought put a tiny smile on her face, and she would've stayed lost in her thoughts, but she felt the weight of his chin resting on her shoulder, looking down into her hands where the model resided as he waited for her to continue.

Withdrawing her wand from her robes, Eve waved the tip of it at their model of imaginary planets and murmured, "_Engorgio_." The planets and sun expanded, though remained perfectly in their orbits while they grew.

He shifted at her shoulder, and his cheek brushed up against hers, causing her to giggle. "You're all stubbly! Did you forget to shave this morning?" She squealed and, as a reflex to being tickled by the short hairs on his face, caught his jaw between her neck and shoulder, causing her to be tickled even more.

"Nah, I didn't forget," Remus responded, smirking at Eve's antics as she tried to release him, got tickled, and then caught him again. "I just… Eh, I don't know… I had this idea that maybe I'd grow in a bit of a beard and a mustache, just to see what I'd look like with them. But, if I don't like it, I'll shave it off."

Eve, having finally released his chin from between her face and shoulder, gazed at Remus intently, as if trying to figure out if he'd still be as handsome with some more facial hair as he was now.

"I think I'd like that," she decided with a small grin. "I think you'd look downright handsome with a mustache and beard, so long as you don't grow them down to the floor, or anything."

Grimacing, he said, "Ugh, no; only short facial hair for me."

Eve smiled and rubbed noses with him once before she turned back to their project and, pulling out a parchment with her writing all over it, pushed her reading glasses up to the bridge of her nose. She drew in a deep breath and said, "Look, Remus… I don't really like telling people this, but…" Craning her neck to meet his eyes, she timidly confessed him, "I-I don't like speaking in front of people. Like, a crowd of people. Like… Like our Astronomy class…"

Remus gazed into her wide, slightly nervous eyes and inquired, "Why not? I've seen you do it before in classes we've had together, and you're good at it."

"Oh, I don't know, it's just… I get all worried that I'll mess up and get a poor grade or be laughed at, and… and I'm sort of… well… one of my phobias is… you know… public speaking…" Eve dropped her gaze to her hands and fiddled with the corner of the parchment.

"Hey," Remus told her while pulling her chin gently around so he could gaze into her gray eyes, "you're going to be magnificent. Give yourself some credit. Besides, you're not the only one. There must be loads of students in this school who don't like speaking in front of their class. Just don't think about it, and you'll be fine."

She blinked once and nodded her head carefully, as if saying, 'If you say so…'

Pecking her temple, Remus offered, "Here, how about you read to me what you're going to say? And don't worry, it's only me."

Eve nodded at his reassurances and breathed deeply and calmly to center herself before reading, "'Planet Circe was created over fifty-billion years ago when a mass of energy exploded, causing the particles of matter around the explosion to scatter and retreat until they were compressed. This formed not only the planet Circe, but the planet Odysseus and their sun, as well. Since then, Circe has been revolving at the same speed, though growing closer to the sun. One single rotation of Circe's takes exactly nine Earth days, and one revolution around the sun takes exactly nine Earth years. The planet's landmasses have shifted over the years, much as ours have on Earth. Two of the constellations surrounding'- Oh, that's another thing," she gestured to the model. "I added some stars. I hope you don't mind."

"They're lovely," Remus said as he eyed the tiny lights shimmering around their planets. He couldn't help but notice with an upward turn of one lip that the constellations he'd pointed out to her the night before- Orion and Sirius- as well as the one she'd made up- the 'Remus Lupin constellation'- were captured in a miniature scale surrounding their planets.

"Thanks. Where was I? Oh, yeah: 'Two of the constellations surrounding it- Sirius and Orion- may be viewed from Earth, suggesting that Circe, too, is within the Milky Way galaxy. Beings have been spotted on Circe, and may even be intelligent life forms.' This is the part where you come in with your amazing drawings." Eve grinned. "But… how was that?"

"You were great, Eve! Like I said before, just don't think about it too much; you'll be wonderful." Remus lightly squeezed her in an embrace while he was behind her, and produced his sketchbook.

"Well… it was only in front of one person," she whispered quietly to herself.

Settling it on her lap, he slid an arm around either side of her and flipped the pages, one by one, of his alien drawings. "And here's where I make up random names for them. _'Petrificus Totalionus', 'Expecto Patronumians', 'Alo Humorasi.'_"

Eve giggled, "You're going to name them after spells?"

He winked and said, "Eh, why not? It's our planet; we should be able to name them whatever we want- Oops." Remus had accidentally flipped to his newest set of sketches of, of course, Eve. "Heh, I'll make sure not to do that and embarrass ourselves while we're presenting our project. I'll, er… rip out the drawings of the aliens and-"

"Oh, wow!" Eve hadn't heard a thing he'd just said. Instead, she was gazing down at her image etched into the parchment with Remus's replica holding her hand and kissing the back of it. The gaze the couple on the page shared was so intense, so affectionate, it made her feel warm from the blush in her cheeks to the tips of her toes. Running her fingertips down it, she breathed, "It's so beautiful."

Sheepishly grinning, the wizard told her, "Yeah… That was right after we'd… told each other how we really felt for one another." She'd slowly turned her head then to look into his warm, chocolate-colored eyes. The gaze they shared then rivaled the one his drawing was to forevermore hold, and she brought her mouth to his, leading their kiss right over her shoulder. Her right hand floated up and lightly ruffled his hair back, causing him to murmur in content and lean into the touch. His hand decided to reciprocate, and it glided over her back and up to tangle into the soft curls that cascaded from her head.

Before he could really get into the kiss or his hand could get as deep into her mane of curls as he wanted, Eve was giggling and breaking the moment.

"I'm sorry," she chuckled because of his bewildered expression. "Your stubble is tickling me!"

His pout faded into a smile as he, too, laughed lightly. He'd been hoping that he'd get a _real_ kiss, something a little deeper than a light lips-only peck, sometime, but, then again, they'd only just had their first kiss the previous night, and so he knew he couldn't rush things.

"Well, my stubble apologizes for being so ticklish," Remus flirted. Lightly caressing her side, he nodded to the sketchbook and told her, "There's one more sketch I drew up today before I met you here."

Eve furrowed her brows in curiosity and flipped the page over. She found her profile gazing off the page mystically, as if she were watching something happen that she didn't often get to see, and yet could see at any time that she wished. On her face were strange lines, curved and seemingly caught for a moment in their shimmying across her features.

"Hm… Where's this one from? Or was this just something you thought up? What in Merlin's name are those lines on my face? And what, exactly, am I doing?" Eve inquired all at once, batting her eyelashes at Remus.

"This," he told her while tapping his fingertip on the cheek of his drawing, "is from last night on our date. You were gazing out at the lake and… and the light from the moon reflected off the ripples in the water and gave you such a… a beautiful… mysterious… other-worldly look… it was as if you really were underwater… anyway, it inspired me; I needed to draw you as you were in that moment. So… here it is." With a nervous swallow, he inquired, "Do-Do you like it?"

Eve gazed at the drawing a moment longer, stunned at her Remus's creativity and obvious passion for the art of drawing. To her, he'd made her look like a beautiful mermaid gazing out into the ocean, 

where vividly colored fished swam to and fro in schools and coral decorated the bottom of the otherwise-brown, sandy sea floor.

"It's stunning," she'd said at last while turning and granting him another smooch. "Thank you."

They'd remained with their foreheads pressed lightly together, drinking in one another's company and warmth, every so often planting a peck somewhere on their partner's face. It wasn't until Remus's stomach grumbled loudly that they realized dinner was being served soon in the Great Hall.

"Right," Remus said as he gathered his belongings and pulled on his robes after Eve rose. "I'll have to wait until we present tonight at Astronomy to finish the rest of my part of the presentation, then."

As Eve magically shrank the model down to fit into her bag, she replied with a grin, "Can't wait."

**Author's Note: **Please remember to **review!** I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter!


	21. Day of the Project: Part Three: Night

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Once again, I'd like to thank everyone for their reviews. They really motivate me and help me learn and grow where my writing is concerned.

_**Important:**_ I'd like to move the plot forward on this fanfiction, so I'm _hoping_ to **post another chapter** up by **Wednesday or Thursday** of this week, and then update again on Sunday. This isn't set in stone, but I'll do my best to post the next two chapters up at these given dates. I know that nothing seemingly major has happened in this fanfiction for a couple of chapters, but plenty of big twists are going to come into play very, very soon, so I'd like to begin updating more frequently, if I can find the time to.

Finally, I'd like to restate that this fanfiction, at this point in time, is not going to end until after Remus and Eve's graduation, which is a long way off, chapter-wise. After this fanfiction ends, I also intend, again, at this point in time, to write a sequel to it. There was still a little concern that it was going to end soon, but I can assure everyone that it isn't going to end for a long time the way I currently have it planned out. Thank you all, once again, for your support!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, June 22, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Twenty-One: Day of the Project: Part Three: Night

"In conclusion," Severus drawled in boredom as James magically flipped their miniature version of a constellation in the air before the class so they could view a different angle, "the constellation Draco, although an ancient alignment of stars, still holds us as human beings in awe of it today." He nodded at the strand of tiny stars before the Astronomy class applauded and he and James packed up their project supplies. While making their way back to their seats, they did their best to avoid each other; after all, they'd had to see one another far too much for their liking within the last month. Why prolong the torture?

As James slid into his seat beside Lily and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, she gave him a subtle peck to the cheek and said, "I'm so proud of you."

"For what? The project or working with… _him?_" He replied with a snort.

"Both. But mostly because you acted in a _civilized_ manner toward him." James still looked appalled that he'd just had to work with Severus (though, of course it had been on his girlfriend's orders that he be respectful toward him, or no kisses for a full month), so Lily leaned toward him and whispered into his ear, "You know… we may just have to have a celebratory snog later on."

Immediately perking up, James grinned widely and nodded his approval. "I'm definitely game." With that, he smooched his girl's forehead and asked, "So, did like you our presentation?"

"It was nice," she concurred with a bob of her head. "How was mine?"

"I think yours was the best out of all of them so far! Especially compared to the one Derek and Cynthia did…" He shuddered. "I'll never look at space dust the same way again. Ugh, but Padfoot and Anna-" He rolled his eyes, and Lily giggled in anticipation, as he'd been making the same complaint ever since they'd presented. "I can't believe he'd get her to agree to making a project about the very star he's named after." Lily pressed the back of her hand to her mouth to muffle her laughter as he continued in a light-hearted manner, "Bloody git."

Professor Sinistra tapped her wand against her desk and called the class to attention again. "Thank you Mr. Snape and Mr. Potter for that fascinating history of the Draco constellation. Next up are," she slid her glasses down her nose to read the next names on the list, "Mr. Lupin and Miss Pankhart."

Remus, who'd been holding Eve's hand beneath the table and thumbing the back of it lightly ever since she began fretting about speaking before the class, leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Don't worry about it, Eve. You're going to be great." To further reassure her, as he watched half her face's color drain at what she was about to do, he pressed a discreet smooch to her hair. Half her lip twitched upward.

At least she's almost smiling, now. Remus thought to himself over this small victory as he rose from his seat. He decided to gather up their supplies so she had less to do and, therefore, less to get nervous over.

Shakily rising to her feet and nodding appreciatively at her partner for being so helpful, Eve swallowed hard and drew in a deep breath before making her way slowly toward the front of the classroom.

_I can do this._ She forced herself to think, as her slow, even steps brought her nearer and nearer to the podium at the front of the class. _I can do this. All I have to do is not think about it, just like Remus said. Just don't think about is. I can do this. I can-_

Eve gasped as she tripped on her school robes and had to catch herself on a nearby desk. The two students who sat there snickered, and she heard low chuckles directed at her from other peers. In embarrassment, she bounded toward the podium and arrived there just at the same time as Remus had, even with his long stride.

"I can't do this," she squeaked softly as the young wizard levitated the miniature solar system before the class. "I've already messed up, and I haven't even begun to present the project, yet!"

"Eve, take a deep breath in," Remus advised gently, placing his hand on her shoulder and lightly massaging it. After Eve did as he said, he held his warm, affectionate gaze with hers, which coaxed her heart into slowing its beating within her chest. "You're a Gryffindor for a reason, Eve: courage. _Your_ courage. Don't let a little thing like a class project stop you from being brave, like I know you are."

The flame in her heart that had been flickering and wavering violently since she'd stepped foot in the Astronomy Tower steadied and grew, warming and numbing the fear in her soul for the moment, until she felt that she could go skydiving from the back of a dragon soaring miles in the air. That was how Remus made her feel, as if she could do anything in the world at all.

A smile blossomed slowly on Eve's lips, and she gently thumbed the hand he so tenderly massaged her shoulder with. "Thank you," she breathed, batting her eyelashes in a way that silently told him that she would kiss him at that moment if they didn't have an audience.

Eve stepped away from him and toward the podium after he'd given her shoulder one last reassuring squeeze and handed her the parchment she was to read about the history of Circe. She poked her hand into her robe pocket and produced her reading glasses, which she sat firmly on her nose.

Clearing her throat, Eve glanced at Remus once more and nodded before she unrolled the parchment. Gazing out at the class, she drew in a deep breath and began, "For our project, we created an entirely new planet from scratch, gave it a name, solar system, and history." Some of the students nodded their head at the original idea. Now, she 

glanced at her writing to read, "'Planet Circe was created over fifty-billion years ago when a mass of energy exploded, causing the particles of matter around the explosion to scatter and retreat until they were compressed. This formed not only the planet Circe, but the planet Odysseus and their sun, as well. Since then-'" _Hic!_

Eve's gray eyes widened in surprise at the hiccup that interrupted her, and she swallowed while trying her best to ignore the slight chuckles from the audience that were causing her cheeks to burn red from embarrassment.

She took a glance at Remus, who was simply smiling away at her while he levitated the model before him. He felt that she had been doing a great job up until that point, and hoped that this little obstacle wouldn't veer her off her fearless course.

Eve's hands twitched at the edges of the parchment, and she tried to swallow back her nerves. "U-Um… 'Since then, Circe has been-'" _Hic!_ "'revolving at the same speed, though-'" _Hic!_ "'growing closer to the sun.'" _Hic!_

More rounds of laughter from her classmates and, what was even worse, shushing from Professor Sinistra.

"Please continue, Miss Pankhart," she encouraged with a wide wave of her hand.

Bobbing her head- which was starting to feel a little light and dizzy- Eve dropped her eyes to her parchment and tried again, "'One single rotation of Circe's takes exactly-'" _Hic! _"'nine Earth days, and one revolution around the sun takes exactly-'" _Hic!_ "'nine Earth years. The planet's landmasses have shifted-'" _Hic!_ "'over the years, much as ours have on-'" _Hic!_ "'Earth.'"

The noise level in the classroom picked up as students snickered and Eve's heart pounded louder and louder in her ears. Lifting up her parchment in a frail attempt to concentrate solely on the words written in neat cursive, she stuttered as her hands shivered and caused the words to blur slightly before her eyes, "'T-T-Two of the const-stellations-'" _Hic!_ "'s-surrounding it- Sirius and O-Orion- may be-'" _Hic!_ "'viewed-d from Earth, suggesting th-a-a-at Circe, too, is-'" _Hic!_ "'within the-the Milky Way g-g-galaxy. Living b-beings have been-been spotted-'" _Hic!_ "'on Circe, and m-may even be int-int-intelligent life f-forms.'" _Hic!_ "On to-to you, Re-Remus."

Remus, at this time, thoroughly believed that the sympathetic grimace he'd worn on his face ever since Eve's performance had taken a nosedive would be permanently etched into his young features. How could she let something like this get to her? She was a wonderful witch, a lovely girl, and a kind, brave person; why would a tiny phobia of hers slow her down?

_Oh, like I'm the one to talk_, he thought as he remembered how terrified he was of the mere thought of the full moon. _Some people are better at hiding their fears, and some aren't. All I can do now is be supportive of her when she gets down on herself later._

Turning to the class, he raised up in one hand the drawings of the life forms of Planet Circe. "These creatures have inhabited Circe for almost as long as it has been in existence. For example, the _Petrificus Totalionus, Expecto Patronumians, _and_, Alo Humorasi._"

Eve felt a pang of jealousy as some of her classmates chuckled _with_ Remus for his clever names. He was so calm and collected in front of an audience. She wished desperately at that moment that she could be like that, too.

Remus pointed out each of the different beings as he named them and gave a brief history of them to the class. He then even went so far as to give them each a role in the society they'd have on Planet Circe _right off the top of his head!_ And Eve couldn't even read off a piece of parchment before her class! She shrunk a little behind the podium at this thought, watching as Remus entertained the class with his thorough description of life on Planet Circe.

"And that concludes our presentation. Thank you." Remus took a bow and allowed the floating model of the solar system to fall into one of his hands while he extended the other to Eve. The class applauded as Eve and Remus took their seats and Professor Sinistra rose for a standing ovation.

"Thank you, thank you for that inspiring project, Mr. Lupin and Miss Pankhart. Job well done!" She took her seat and scribbled a few notes down onto her parchment before calling, "And lastly, Mr. Pettigrew and Miss Black."

Narcissa gazed her dark eyes expectantly at Peter, as the boy suddenly grew red and began perspiring. He grinned at her, trying to convince her that he'd used his time wisely, but she frowned at the weak attempt and followed her partner up to the front of the classroom.

Peter pulled from his robes a lumpy, sky blue sphere and a small scrap of parchment from his robes and began reading, "'This is Neptune. Neptune is one of the many planets in our solar system. Neptune is named after the sea god in mythology-'"

As the struggling Marauder read through his particularly pathetic speech (which forced James and Sirius to bow their heads in order to stifle their laughter, causing their respective girls to smack them lightly on the shoulder and tell them to listen to their classmates), Eve rested her forehead on the table, cringing at how horrible she'd done before her class.

"Merlin, I did terribly. I couldn't have done any worse if I'd tried," she complained softly to Remus.

Lightly rubbing her back, he whispered to her, "Eve, don't worry about it. Everyone messes up sometimes."

"But I messed up _big_ time!"

"You just got nervous. I'll bet with a little more practice, you'll be positively flawless!"

Covering her face with her hands, she said, "Oh, great, I get more practice in order to mess up even more!"

Gently prying her hands off her face, Remus leaned into her ear and whispered, "Eve, listen to me. I think you're very brave. You're brave because, even though you don't like speaking before others and even though this wasn't exactly you at your best-" Eve narrowed her eyes to glare at him before he continued, "you did it, anyway, and you gave it all you had."

"I had to, it's not like I had a choice. It's for a grade," Eve pointed out miserably, directing her eyes to the table and refusing to meet his gaze.

Pulling her chin up so her gray eyes would gaze into his brown ones, Remus said, "You had a choice, most definitely. You could've _not_ presented, but you did, and that's what counts. Besides," he couldn't help but grin here, "at least you're doing better than Pete." He gestured to his mate who was giving a particularly poor speech, considering the time he was given.

Eve looked up at the pair presenting their project- Peter stumbling through his words, and Narcissa gaping and glaring at the back of his head. The Gryffindor witch wagered that, if the Slytherin had had her wand in her hand at that moment, she would've _avada kedavra_-ed him right then and there.

"You're very courageous," Remus concluded with a tiny peck to her cheek. "And I admire you for that."

The young witch turned to face Remus once more from her place on the table, studying him. Why did he think so highly of her when she'd already proven that she was terrible at facing her fears?

_Maybe… Maybe it isn't that I didn't do a good job of confronting my fears… it's that I at least _tried_ to confront them._ The thought suddenly struck her like lightning, and she turned to him and said, "Thank you… you really know how to treat a lady and… and help her up when she's down."

With a twinkle in his eye, Remus playfully replied, "I've been told that once or twice in my day."

She lightly flicked his ear and rolled her eyes. "Seriously… Thank you for just being there for me." Her eyes shifted around the room for a moment, and she looked a little unsure of herself at what she was about to do next, but she reminded herself that he deserved it for supporting her. Eve quickly leaned in and gave him a quick smooch to the mouth before pulling away, not wanting to be caught by the professor or watched by the other students.

Remus smiled and wrapped an arm around Eve's shoulders when the class gave a scattered applause to Peter and Narcissa (who really hadn't done much of anything the entire time except glare holes into the back of Peter's skull).

Professor Sinistra sat with her mouth agape at the poor quality of work presented before her. "Mr. Pettigrew, I give you an entire month for this project, and you give me _this?_" Pointing at Narcissa, she exclaimed, "And _you_ didn't say a word while you were up there! Did you do nothing to help him with this? This project doesn't meet the requirements to pass! Please return to your seats immediately; I am very disappointed."

Eve smirked and, nodding at Peter and Narcissa, said to Remus, "At least I didn't end up like them."

**Author's Note:** I'll be able to respond to everyone's reviews in the next chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Please remember to **leave a review!**


	22. There's Something I Need to Tell You

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Once again, I can't thank everyone enough for their reviews. Keep 'em coming, please!

This fanfiction has reached over ten thousand hits. Thanks, everyone!

I've been looking forward to writing this chapter and the next few chapters for a long time, so I hope everyone likes them!

I was, unfortunately, unable to update in the middle of the week as I had hoped, but I hope to start finding the time to do so next week, since I won't even be able to update this Sunday, and would like to update the following Wednesday or Thursday to make up for it. Also, sorry for the late update; there was a horrible thunderstorm yesterday, and I couldn't get on the computer to post this chapter.

**Publish Date:** Monday, June 30, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Twenty-Two: There's Something I Need to Tell You

"Right, now wrap your arms around your knees," Remus instructed as Eve posed herself on the chair across from him in the Gryffindor common room.

"Alright. How's this?" Eve inquired after completing the task.

Remus surveyed his model with an artist's eye. Eve had shed her robes, revealing her uniform's button-up shirt and tie, and skirt. She was sitting sideways on the armchair she occupied, and had her legs curled over the arm of it with her arms encircling her knees. Her face was turned toward him with her hair released from its usual barrette to allow her hair to curl freely around her cheeks and shoulders, giving her a lively look. With her positioned this way, he was hoping to get a playful look to draw down into his sketchbook… but he felt that something was _still_ missing.

"That's good. Now… try crossing your feet at your ankles, maybe?" Remus offered, shifting out of frustration in his seat as she obeyed and found that it still didn't achieve the playfulness he was striving for. "Eh… Take off your shoes, maybe that'll help."

Eve blinked and said, "Ugh, no way, my feet are weird!" She pulled her feet up protectively and continued, "They're shaped oddly, and my toes are just so short and fat and-"

Resting his sketchbook on his lap, Remus leaned forward and assured her quietly and sincerely, "Trust me, dear, your feet are not 'weird'; they're actually quite cute!"

Eve arched a disbelieving eyebrow and said, "_My_ feet? 'Cute'? Yeah, right!"

"I mean it, Evie; the feet match the girl." He grinned and winked.

"Hmph! Even _if _you thought my feet are cute, with how hideous they really are, I'm not sure if I should be flattered or offended by that statement." Eve pouted and batted her eyelashes in a way that gave Remus the urge to forget about drawing her and claim the snog he'd been wanting for the entire three weeks he'd been unofficially courting her.

"Would I _ever_ offend you, Eve?" Remus pointed out with a smirk.

After pretending to think it over for a moment, Eve replied slowly, "No."

"Good, now that we've cleared that up, you have cute feet which means I win our little argument, which means you need to take off your shoes."

Eve gaped. "What? That's just… just… insane Marauder logic!"

"And this surprises you because…?" Remus inquired with a slow shake of his head.

Rolling her eyes, she said while reaching for the strings of her shoes, "Fine, but they're not cute."

"Yes they are, believe me," Remus replied playfully while raising his sketchbook and quill.

Dropping each shoe onto the floor, Eve accused in jest, "You know, if I didn't know you better, I'd say that you've been spending some time ogling my feet. That's not true, is it, Mr. Lupin?"

"Oh, yes, I've definitely been ogling your feet. In fact," he teased while jokingly flipping through the pages in his drawing book, "I even have some particularly detailed drawings of them; I simply cannot get their beauty out of my head."

"Oh, please," Eve drawled with a disbelieving roll of her eyes, "now you're just trying to flatter me."

With a half shrug, Remus inquired, "Is it working?"

A pause, and then with a coy shift of her shoulders, the witch admitted, "A little, yes."

"Good, then we're ready to begin." Remus's hand was poised above the paper with the quill between its fingers as he said, "Smile for me, Eve."

Eve wriggled her bare toes once before putting on a smile that, although pretty, wasn't what Remus was looking for. The smile that spread across her lips was one that was too planned out and posed, whereas the one he wanted had to be spontaneous and, well, playful!

Tapping the feather of his quill against the open drawing pad in his hands, he thought for a moment before trying, "I want to tell you a story before I draw you. Peter… as much as I hate to admit it, isn't as great of a wizard as he could be. Well, one day we were in potions class, brewing up a potion that was supposed to change the color of whatever you rubbed it onto. He…" Here, he began chuckling, "He rubbed it onto part of his pants and instead of it changing color," Remus laughed even harder, "his pants, they… they became invisible." Eve gasped and couldn't hide the amused grin on her face as Remus continued, "_And_ Pete was wearing boxers with pink hearts on them! It was hilarious!"

Eve threw her head back and laughed to the ceiling, and Remus had found the smile he'd been looking for.

"Stay right there!" He exclaimed excitedly before bowing his head over the blank page and beginning to move his hand fluidly against it, inking her lively features permanently onto the paper. Fifteen 

minutes later, he had completed the replication of his girl caught in a moment of sheer, unrestrained laughter in the chair by the fireplace.

"Come," he beckoned her, "look at this. Tell me what you think."

Eve slid off the chair and skipped over to the couch Remus was sitting on, sliding beneath his arm and cuddling up to him to view his drawing of her.

"As always," she told him after surveying it for a little, "you never cease to amaze." Arching her neck back, she granted him an affectionate smooch to the lips before telling him, "I love it. Thank you."

She snuggled with him in silence for a minute as she continued to look at the drawing, tracing over it with her fingertips every once in a while. A thought struck Eve at that very moment, when her forefinger was running along the curls he'd drawn cascading down her back, which made her ask, "Remus… will you teach me?" She stroked his hand pleadingly as she gazed up at him hopefully.

A smile began to slowly bloom on Remus's features, and he gently gathered her onto his lap to lightly caress her sides and tell her, "I'd love to teach you how to draw, Eve." Pecking her shoulder once, he rested his chin on that spot to gaze down at his drawing book, which he moved to rest on her lap. "Now, take the quill and try to concentrate on drawing something."

"What should I draw?" Eve asked, glancing over her shoulder to look at him.

"How about… my hand?" Remus offered, splaying his left hand in the air before her.

"Hmm… Alright, then," the witch answered, studying his hand for a second before beginning to make small, shaky strokes to form the line of the left side of his hand.

"No, no, here," he corrected, wrapping his large right hand around her smaller one. He went over the tiny lines with one smooth, long line. "See? You want to make everything fluid. Try again."

She nodded before drawing a tiny curve around the top of the line and extending it down to create his pinky. She continued drawing until she had the outline of his hand complete (a little small and lopsided, but it was a step in the right direction from the scribbles of drawings she'd done before).

Eve began attempting to fill the different creases of his hand in on the paper, but Remus stopped her again and said, "Eve… now you _want_ to use small, short strokes." He took hold of her hand once more and guided it around the paper to help show her how to properly draw the joints of his fingers.

She giggled once when he released her hand, and the action caused her to accidentally jerk the quill, extending the line she'd been drawing out too far. This made her laugh even more and, tilting her head to one side, teased, "Hmm… I think I'll give you a tattoo, Remus." With that, she curved the line around until it was in the shape of a heart, and wrote her name inside it.

The low rumbles vibrating through his chest to her back as he chuckled in amusement made her turn around and grin at him. "That's a pretty interesting tattoo, Evie."

"Only the best for you, Mussy," Eve teased while ruffling back his hair.

Remus gazed up into her beautiful, caring face for a moment as she stroked through his hair affectionately. He'd wanted to deepen his kisses to her ever since he'd first gotten a taste of those pink, plump lips of hers, but didn't want to seem too forward. He thought now, after three weeks of courting unofficially, he could at least _try_ to get some semblance of a snog.

_And besides_, he thought to himself as he caressed her cheek with the side of his thumb, _I'm sure she'd kindly let me know if she thought I was moving too fast._

His warm, brown eyes dropped to her lips as he leaned in and kissed her, softly at first, but then adding pressure, and then pushing his tongue against the crease of her lips, silently asking permission for access.

Eve pulled away slightly when she felt his tongue, and Remus felt a ripple of fear trace through him before he said, "Eve, I'm sorry, I… I should've asked first-"

"Oh, no, that's not it… I just would prefer we find someplace more private, that's all. Anyone could walk in at anytime, and I just… don't really like the thought." Eve folded her hands and pressed them to her knees nervously. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spoil the moment."

"You didn't, don't worry," Remus assured the fretting Eve. Smooching her once on the forehead, he picked her up, causing the witch to flail in his arms and squeal about how he was going to hurt his back. He carried her to a corner behind a pillar and set her down on her feet, leaning her against the wall. "Here, see? Privacy." Lifting up both her hands and smooching her on the back of each wrist, he inquired, "_Now_ may we?"

Biting her lower lip, Eve nodded and said, "Yes, we may."

Remus stroked back her curls and approached her face once again with his own and brought his mouth to hers, waiting a minute before making another attempt to deepen the kiss. This time, she yielded, and allowed him access to her mouth.

She tasted something that made her eyebrows knit together and caused her to coo, "Mmm… Mmm!… _Mmm!_" Breaking the kiss, she exclaimed excitedly, "Remus, you taste like chocolate!"

He grinned at his Eve's newfound enthusiasm for the art of snogging, and told her, "That's because I had some for dessert at dinner tonight-"

Before he could finish his sentence, she had dived right back into the deep kiss they'd just shared a moment ago, even more eager than before. He chuckled into their kiss, and worked to make it a little deeper and make sure she enjoyed it as much as he was.

When they needed to breathe, he broke off his end of the smooch and chained kisses down Eve's long neck to allow her to catch her breath.

"Wow!" She breathed, running her hand through his hair as he pecked at the flesh of her throat. "That was… _wow!_"

"That was _very_ 'wow!'" Remus agreed before smooching at a place on her neck that made her squeak and giggle.

"That tickled!" She exclaimed, giving his shoulders a playful push away.

"Oh, really?" Remus inquired with an arched eyebrow and a grin. "Well… does _this_ tickle?" He leaned down to the curve where her neck united with her shoulder and blew a tiny raspberry onto it.

Eve squealed even louder and gave him another tiny push. "_Yes!_"

Merlin, she was adorable. Remus wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve a girl like her, but whatever it was, he was bloody well happy he'd done it!

While he went back to lightly kissing her neck and the underside of her jaw, Eve took to tenderly running the pads of her fingers up and down the back of his neck, which caused him to shudder and give a tiny chuckle every so often at how ticklish it felt.

"Remus, are we… official?" She inquired hopefully, trailing kisses over his cheek and up to his ear.

He paused for a moment, and felt a wave of cold dread hit him like a wall of bricks. Him and her… official? That would mean he'd have to tell her exactly what he'd been avoiding telling her for the past three weeks. He couldn't, he wasn't ready! He didn't want to scare her away and lose all this with her! He thought their relationship was going wonderfully, and besides, she was driving him simply insane with the kissing she was giving his ear!

No, he needed more time. He'd have to keep their relationship unofficial for a bit longer, until he could work up the strength to tell her the truth.

This thought in mind, Remus shook his head at her throat and murmured, "No," before diving in, attempting to steal another kiss.

Eve did the one thing he'd dreaded she'd do: she pulled away and asked in disbelief, "_What?_"

With a sigh, the young wizard hung his head and said, "Look, I just can't be official with you right now-"

"But it's been three whole weeks! What kind of girl do you take me for if you think I'd agree to allow you to be unofficial with me and Merlin only knows how many other girls for as long as you wanted?" She drew in a deep breath and asked in pain, "Why? Why can't I be your girlfriend?"

Remus gazed into her face, her features stretched up in surprise and yet also sagging down in dismay. She really wanted this, did she? Well, then, she would know the monster she'd be courting if she truly wanted to be his girlfriend so badly!

"You want for us to be official?" He inquired softly, making Eve believe he'd reconsidered and was willing to be her boyfriend. After she'd nodded hopefully, he firmly took her hand and quickly fled the Gryffindor common room with her. He'd have to tell her somewhere where no one else could even _chance_ hearing them… and Remus knew just the place for the job.

"Come with me," he told her as he pulled her through the hole behind the portrait and down the corridor. "There's something I need to tell you."

**Author's Note: **Ooh, a cliffhanger! I'd love to read what everyone thought of this chapter in their **reviews**! At this time, I'd like to respond to everyone's reviews since chapter seventeen. My responses to everyone will be in chronological order of when they reviewed.

_Beautiful Bluebird-_ Although I still look forward to your reviews and feedback, I notice you haven't reviewed in a while! I hope you're still reading and enjoying this fanfiction! Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed chapter seventeen, and that you don't feel that I did anything cliché in regards to Remus trying to get away from telling Eve about his condition. Again, thank you, I really do try to edit each chapter for spelling and grammar before I post it. I'm happy that you like the plot and that you've been kept in suspense. I enjoyed reading your reply to my question on why the readers seemed to like Eve as an OC, as it gives me a better idea as to what I'm doing right. I am doing my best to make her as believable a character as possible, as well as finding a balance between being too perfect and too flawed, since neither are great character traits. I would love to hear more feedback from you in the future, especially since you wrote that I can 'expect comments from' you, and I really enjoy reading your reviews. Please keep reading and sending me feedback through reviews!

_The Silverdark Knight-_ I always look forward to reading your reviews, since I enjoy reading your thoughts and feedback on this fanfiction. The ideas you presented as alternatives to the full moon rising in chapter seventeen were very creative, and I liked reading about them. I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying the fanfiction, and that you're looking forward to Eve's discovery of Remus being a werewolf. I enjoyed reading your response as to why you like Remus and Eve being paired together, as it showed me what I was doing correctly in writing them together. I know I've been writing a lot of cute moments in the more recent chapters, but I assure you that I have a reason for it. The chapter in which Eve discovers Remus's secret is coming up soon, don't you worry. I even wrote so in the author's note in chapter twenty. I hope you enjoy it and all the other chapters I post. I'm glad you liked the previous chapter. I'm happy to read you think this fanfiction is "excellent", and I can't wait to hear your feedback through reviews in the future!

_FunkyKiwi_- I very much enjoy hearing your thoughts on this fanfiction, especially since you take the time to give me a thorough review each chapter! I'm glad you feel that my writing is consistently good, as that it what I'm striving for. Aha, well, surprise, surprise; I hadn't known you were Dreameater! I'm fine with anonymous reviews just as long as they give polite feedback like everyone else. I'm glad I was able to reassure you that I know exactly what I'm doing in developing Eve's character and relationship with Remus. I'm happy to read that you like how I'm writing Remus, his perspective on his condition and revealing it to Eve, and his relationship with Eve. I'm also glad to read that you like how believably I write this fanfiction, as that tells me I'm doing a good job. Your response to my inquiry as to the readers' ideas on Eve's discovery of Remus's secret was creative, and I hope you enjoy what I have in mind. As for the Wolfsbane potion idea you presented… without giving too much away, I've been developing that very thought in my mind since the beginning of this fanfiction, though I don't know when it was invented. I guess great minds think alike! Your answer to my question of why the readers seemed to like Remus's being with Eve reassured me that I was doing the best job I could do of making them compatible for one another, and I know now what I'm doing correctly. I'm glad that you feel I'm doing a good job at writing Remus's character, especially since I write him as a gentleman, which seems to be pointed out quite a bit among the reviewers. I always saw him as the type to be mischievous and clever where pranks and plans are concerned, but, underneath it all, I believe he is also quite the gentleman. You're correct in that chapter twenty is more of a transition one, but important for character development and even for a subtle reference in regards to timing that has come into play. There is a reason that this chapter and some of the previous ones are light, have only really been glimpses of cute moments of Remus and Eve's relationship, and don't have major occurrences in them, so I'm glad you caught that. Aha, yup, Remus is growing facial hair. The picture that Harry receives from Sirius in _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_ movie shows Remus with longer hair and a beard and mustache. That picture was taken shortly after the Marauders graduated and became members of the Order of the Phoenix, so I decided to make Remus experiment with growing facial hair during his final year at Hogwarts. I'm glad you like Anna's character. It's fine that you didn't read when Eve is going to discover Remus's secret; I only put that up because some reviewers were asking about when it was going to be posted in as a chapter, so for those who wanted to know, they could read about it and find out. And, nope, the fanfiction isn't going to end after she finds out he's a werewolf; it won't end until after their graduation the way I have it currently planned out, and after that I want to write a sequel. I had wanted to write in another chapter earlier this week and then update again today, but time only allowed me to write one chapter this week, though I'd definitely like to push the plot forward, so I'll try to begin writing and posting more often starting next week. I'm glad you enjoyed the project chapter, and how I wrote Eve's public speaking mishap. Actually, no, I didn't write the hiccup thing from a real-life experience; I simply was told at one point about the different side effects of stage fright, and hiccups was one of them. I'm happy to read that you like how I'm pacing and writing the fanfiction. And believe me, I have plenty planned for this fanfiction! Please keep reading; I look forward to your future reviews!

_BlaireVolturi-_ I always look forward to reading your reviews! Oh, don't worry, I have Eve's discovery of Remus's secret all planned out, so I hope you like it. I'm glad you like how Remus and Eve's relationship is progressing slowly; I know what you mean when you say that some fanfictions have characters moving too fast right after they tell each other their feelings, but I rather like keeping things slow between these two. I feel that it's like anticipation for getting a gift; it's just about as good as the gift itself. This, to me, is the same way with building up to the first date or first kiss; it's just as much fun to build up the suspense as it is to write them sharing that first kiss. Aha, don't worry, it 

doesn't get 'annoying' if you keep writing that you think Eve and Remus are the 'sweetest couple ever'; I'm actually happy that you've felt this way for a while, especially since you say that this is your favorite fanfiction, which I hope it still is. I like the ideas you presented when I asked the readers for how they thought Eve would find out about Remus's condition, and I hope you like what I have in mind for that scene. I'm happy you don't feel that Remus and Eve are a clichéd couple, and that you like them a lot. I am doing my best to make sure that Eve isn't a MarySue or a clichéd character; I want her to be an average girl, relatable, and believable, but also to have some personality and not make her boring. Yes, Remus's gentlemanly ways seem to have caught the attention of a few of the reviewers, and I'm glad you pointed it out, as this is how I imagine Remus has always been, even though he is a mischievous Marauder, as well. I'm sorry that you don't like most Remus/OC fanfictions, but I'm glad you like this one so much! No worries; although I enjoy all the reviews I get, I especially enjoy longer ones, so there's nothing to be embarrassed of or to apologize for if you write long reviews for this fanfiction. I hope you feel I wrote out Eve's fear of public speaking accurately; I wanted to show it without going overboard or not going far enough, so I tried to keep a balance between the two. Again, I'm happy you like how gentlemanly Remus is, and that you 'adore' this story. Yes, what happened to Eve in front of the class _was_ pretty embarrassing. As for the plot twist idea you presented… well, let's just say you'll have to read and find out, won't you? ;-D I look forward to reading your feedback in the future through reviews!

_screamxheart_- Thank you for your input on how you feel Eve will react to discovering Remus's secret. I'm glad you feel my writing is 'really good'. I'm happy to say that this fanfiction won't end after their project is complete; in fact, I currently plan on writing it until they graduate and then starting a sequel. I enjoyed reading that you like Remus and Eve being a couple, that you think they're cute together, and that you feel this is 'one of the cutest' Remus fanfictions you've read. I can't wait to read your future reviews!

_MoonNightLover_- I enjoy reading your reviews on this fanfiction! I'm glad you approve of how Remus decided to hold off on telling Eve his secret, and that you feel she deserves to know about his being a werewolf. I'm happy you liked how their first date went, even if it was in the rain. I thought your response to my question on how the readers thought Eve would find out about Remus's secret was creative; I hope you like what I have in mind for that scene when the chapter finally comes! I enjoy reading that you feel Remus and Eve are 'so cute together', since that tells me that I'm doing a good job as far as writing out their relationship. I look forward to reading your future reviews!

_Johanna Black__-_ I'm glad you enjoyed chapter seventeen and that you like the story. Please continue reading and reviewing!

_bookworm2011_- I'm glad you find this fanfiction interesting and enjoyable, and I hope you'll continue reading! Please keep reading and reviewing!

_The Silver Huntress_- I'm glad you feel this fanfiction is 'wonderful', and that you 'enjoy how the plot is unfolding'. I hope you've enjoyed the more recent chapters. I notice you haven't reviewed in a while! I hope you continue giving feedback through reviews!

_Aljinon-_ I always look forward to reading your reviews, and hope you have more time to leave them in the future! Yes, the Healer in Eve certainly shines through whenever Remus is injured because of his being a werewolf! I'm happy to hear that you identify with Eve, because that lets me know that I'm making her a believable character. I enjoyed reading about how happy you were when Eve and Remus kissed and had their first date. I'm thrilled to read that you're excited that this fanfiction will continue up to graduation and that a sequel will begin after, the way I currently have it planned out. The fact that you like their childhood connection and how it has grown into a relationship makes me happy; I'm glad you like Eve and Remus together. I enjoyed reading that you like Eve more than any other OC character you've read with Remus; that really made my day! I can't wait to hear your feedback through future reviews!

_Madelasha-_ I'm glad you feel that this is 'one of the few Remus/OC' fanfictions you've liked! Aha, yes, I like to build up the suspense, so I'm glad you liked that. I hope to read more of your reviews in the future!

_UnGiornoPerNoi_- Wow, I'm glad you 'love' this fanfiction! I hope to read more of your reviews in the future!

_Captain Saru_- I always look forward to your reviews! I'm glad you thought their first date was 'very, very cute'. I'm happy to read that you feel Eve and Remus's relationship is 'adorable', as that tells me that you like them together, which is a very good thing! Oh, I don't think I'm going to miss another Sunday for a while, seeing as I have more free time, now. I can't wait to read your feedback through future reviews!

_FanOfEverything100_- I'm glad you feel this fanfiction is 'really good'! Yes, Sirius is a fun character to write, and I'm happy to read that you think I'm doing a good job at keeping him in character. I add Lily and James in when I need to because I'd like for them to represent the sort of healthy relationship Remus could have if he either wasn't a werewolf or wasn't so self-conscious about the fact that he's a werewolf, so, while I'll continue to write them into the fanfiction, it'll mostly be when it's necessary to bring in this symbolism. I'm glad you don't want this fanfiction to end; it won't until after their graduation, the way I currently have it planned out, and then I'm hoping to maybe write a sequel to it. Please keep reading and reviewing!

_SilverSkulblaka_- I always look forward to reading your reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying this fanfiction. Yes, I do try my best to update on a weekly basis, and I'm sorry I couldn't a couple weeks ago, especially since you said this is the only fanfiction you read that still updates. I should be able to update weekly more frequently, now, since I currently have more free time to write. I'm happy that you like Remus and Eve together! I can't wait to read your future feedback through reviews, especially since you haven't reviewed in a while!

_labradorite_- I'm glad you enjoyed the first and last chapters! Yes, Eve's public speaking mishap was quite embarrassing. Please keep reading and reviewing!

_Notes-and-Photographs-_ I look forward to getting more reviews from you; thank you for being so thorough! I'm glad you feel that the plot of this fanfiction is believable and a good one. I was happy to read that you believe their relationship is accurately portrayed in its slow pacing; I don't like rushing things when I write. I feel that the anticipation leading up to the first kiss or first date is just as important as the first kiss or first date, itself. Yes, I do try and take the time to edit each chapter before I post it for spelling and grammar errors. I'm happy that you find Eve to be a relatable character, as that means I'm doing a good job in developing her character. Your review made my day, and I hope to read more of them from you in the near future! I can't wait to read your future reviews!

_Totally CRAZY and Hyper_- I'm happy you like how I describe the different actions in the fanfiction and that you can picture what's going on in each chapter in your head! I'm glad you liked their preschool flashback. I enjoyed reading that you feel I write Sirius well and in character, as well as the reason why you like Remus and Eve together, as I now know what I'm doing correctly with those characters. Yup, there was definitely lots of cute moments in the last chapter, but there is a good reason for it. I can't wait to read your future reviews!

_LadyReaderofBooks_- I'm glad to hear that you like this fanfiction enough to stay up late reading all of it, though I still would like to know why you like Remus and Eve together as a couple? I'd enjoy reading the answer to that in a future review. Please keep reading and reviewing!

_midnightsprite- _I'm glad you're enjoying the fanfiction! Please keep reading and reviewing!


	23. The Confession Through Remus's Eyes

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** As always, I want to thank those who've reviewed. I'd like to invite the readers who have reviewed to continue to do so, and I'd also like to invite the readers who have not reviewed to please start doing so. Please review, everyone! I'd love to hear what you think!

Wow, this fanfiction has reached over eleven thousand hits! I'd like to thank all the readers!

FunkyKiwi has asked me where my inspirations for this fanfiction come from, such as, to use her examples, Eve's hiccupping when she presented the project, or Remus's complimenting her on her feet. Well, I can honestly say that, as I'm thinking up, planning, or writing out each chapter, these things just come to me. I don't know how, exactly, but the thoughts just pop into my head, and if I like them and they fit into the fanfiction, I use them. Thanks for the great question!

Lastly, regarding my responses every few chapters to the reviews I receive, I'd just like to say that I'm not _trying_ to write them at varying lengths, they're different lengths because it depends on how much I have to reply to in each review. If a reader leaves a longer reply each chapter, chances are there's more for me to reply to. If a reader leaves short reviews, there's not as much for me to reply to. Please keep this in mind. Thank you!

**Publish Date:** Thursday, July 10, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Twenty-Three: Through Remus's Eyes

Remus could feel his heart palpitating in his chest as thoughts shot across his mind. _What if she breaks up with me? What if she doesn't even want to be friends with me? What if she never wants to even look at me again?_ Then, dread, like cold water, washed down his body as this thought occurred to him: _What if she doesn't care? What if she still wants to be with me? What am I supposed to say then? Oh, Merlin, what will I _do_ then? No, I-I must protect her and… and… tell her we can't, and… Oh, I want her to be mine, though; I want her to be my girlfriend._

The werewolf stopped at the end of the corridor to walk up and down along a wall with Eve, who was giving him a strange look as she asked, "Where are you taking me, Remus?"

With a sigh, Remus shook his head in regret and replied softly, "Somewhere where no one will overhear what I'm about to tell you." He gazed at her beautiful face apologetically before hearing the wall in front of them shift and change shape until a door had been etched into it.

Remus released Eve's arm from his hand- _She wouldn't want to touch me after she found out what I was, anyway_- and pushed past the doors to enter the small, confined, cold little cell. It was made of thick, large stones, which was guaranteed to make the room soundproof. The only item in that room was a couch to sit and talk on, which he figured he might also need to wake Eve up on if and when she fainted upon hearing his news.

Remus faced the wall as he heard Eve enter and the door slide shut behind her, trying to restrict the tears that threatened to spill over his eyelids and down his cheeks… but they did, just the same.

"Oh, my… This is the Room of Requirement, isn't it? I… I've never been inside it before… Actually, aheh, I was starting to believe it didn't exist," Remus heard Eve softly confess. He could hear the curiosity in his voice and, had he not brought her there for such a solemn reason, he would've been proud to be the one to introduce her to the Room of Requirement, as her curiosity, he had learned in the time he'd been courting her, seemed to be insatiable and without boundary.

Oh, Eve… What he wouldn't give for the ending to this curse that kept him from enjoying life like a normal human should, like a normal _man_ should. What he wouldn't give to find a significant other in her that would never have to know of the horrible, horrible monster raging inside him. What he wouldn't give for an endless eternity of sweet kisses from her affectionate lips…

Sniffling, Remus turned to face Eve, tears tumbling right off his chin and jaw. Swallowing shakily, he begged of her, "Eve… kiss me."

The look of bewilderment on this sudden change in conversation made Remus close the gap between them and plead, "Please… kiss me one last time."

He held his arms out to her and caught her in them before pulling her into a kiss unlike any he'd ever given to a girl before. Then again, _she_ was unlike any girl he'd ever kissed before. She was the first real girlfriend he'd had that fancied him for him, and who he fancied in return, even if she hadn't ever officially been his girlfriend.

He felt a little resistance from the witch in his arms, but felt her eventually melt into the kiss just the same, and one of their hands each found their way into their partner's hair to pull them in for a deeper, more passionate snog.

He surrendered everything over to her in this kiss, in his caressing of her lips with his, and in the tango their tongues danced to. Every last feeling she'd evoked in him in the past three weeks of their courting he returned to her threefold, trying to tell her through his actions just how much he enjoyed being hers.

At last, the kiss had ended, and Remus pulled away to find his Eve crying. He was about to reach up to wipe those tears from her cheeks when she suddenly clutched onto him harder, and they plopped down onto the couch with her holding his face to her throat, lightly caressing the back of his head.

"Eve…" Remus murmured into her throat. "There's something you must know about me… Oh, Merlin, these past three weeks with you have got to have been the best of my life… and that… _that_ is saying something, Evie." He felt her swallow against the top of his head, and he nuzzled the soft flesh of her throat before continuing, "This… isn't going to be easy… And, oh, you've been so wonderful to me." His voice cracked, and he buried his face into her neck to silently cry for a minute before gathering himself once more and continuing on, "I… I don't think I'll find another girlfriend like you if you leave me… which would be perfectly understandable if… if you don't want to court some… _thing _like me… And… and we could still be… be friends, if you wanted… I mean, if you didn't even want to be that…" He shivered and held Eve closer to him for support, as if she'd run away from him before he even got around to spilling the damnable secret to her. "You see, Eve… I'm… I'm a…" He swallowed once more, squeezed his eyes shut and tightened his grip on her back before forcing the atrocious words through his gritted teeth, "a _werewolf_." Drawing in a deep breath, he added on, "Oh, Eve, I'm so sorry, I… I wish I could be a better man for you… a better boyfriend… an official boyfriend… I wish I didn't have to tell you this, but you have every right to know the sort of… of beast you're getting involved with, and-"

Remus jerked as Eve fell off the couch, and he tried to catch her, but she moved so quickly once she'd hit the floor, it was as if she'd caught sight of the Grim Reaper chasing after her.

He mouthed her name and tilted his head to one side, partly in disbelief, and partly in acknowledgement that the last thing he'd wanted to happen had indeed happened.

Remus reached out for her in a pathetic attempt to touch her one last time, but she was far beyond his reach, leaving him with quickly-cooling flesh that had been heated by hers only moments before as they'd sat together on that couch.

"No, I-I can't right now," Eve whimpered and turned to him for the first time as she rose to her feet. He found that the witch's complexion had paled to a ghostly white, and she looked a little shiny to him. Her hand, he noted, was clenched at her stomach.

She must be so disgusted at ever even fancying, let alone being with, a thing like me, I've made her ill. Remus thought to himself in dark dismay.

He watched the doorknob jiggle in her hand as her whole body shook and quivered with the, what he believed to be, weight of his secret unloading onto her shoulders.

"I'm s-sorry, Remus, I… I need… need to think… I-I can't do this right now. I-I'm sorry. I just… just need some time," Eve told him with a wavering voice that sounded as if it were on the verge of vomiting.

Swallowing at the news that he would be losing his girl because of his wolf, Remus couldn't help but allow his features to fall. The one thing he'd ever wanted was a normal life. He was, at the present time, actually willing to give that up as long as she'd stay with him. Now what did he have? _Nothing_…

Against his will, he forced the following words to leave his mouth, "I… I understand, Eve… I… I wouldn't want to date something like me, either."

Upon these final words being spoken, the phantom Erik watched as his radiant Christine exited the room and shut the door behind her, repulsed at the hideous face hidden behind his mask.

**Author's Note: **I know this was a short chapter, but please, please, please, keep reading; I promise it'll all come together in the next chapter! **I'd love to hear the readers' thoughts on all that took place in this chapter, and I'd like to know what the readers think will happen in the future for Remus and Eve! Please leave this in your review for this chapter! **Remember, many reviews a day keeps writer's block away! :P

I tried something different with this chapter and the next chapter that I haven't done in any of the other chapters in this fanfiction. In fact, I had to write the next chapter before I wrote this chapter to make sure everything was accurate. The title of this chapter and how this chapter is written, along with what I've just written in this paragraph, leave clues for how these two chapters are different than the other chapters. Whoever can figure out how this chapter is different than the others (as well as how the next chapter will be different) and write it in the review for this chapter, I'll mention their penname in the author's note for the next chapter. (I really hope this doesn't backfire on me if it turns out to be too difficult! :P)


	24. The Confession Through Eve's Eyes

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note: **Once more, thanks to everyone for all their reviews! I really appreciate them!

There was some confusion left in a review as to why Eve was surprised at Remus's confession. I'd just like to clarify this by reminding everyone that she only knew that he wasn't telling her something, but she didn't know _what_ that something was. I hope this helped!

**Publish Date: **Sunday, July 13, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Twenty-Four: Through Eve's Eyes

Eve had to trot to keep up with Remus's long stride as he pulled her from the common room. As she looked up at his face, she saw that every muscle in it was set in determination, though couldn't help but note that his eye's usual luster had been misplaced, his soft lips were quavering, and his adam's apple was bobbing rapidly.

"Where are you taking me, Remus?" Eve asked as he brought her to a wall at the end of the corridor and paced along it a few times, back and forth, back and forth.

"Somewhere where no one will overhear what I'm about to tell you," Remus replied as he stopped walking and faced the wall, which Eve saw was sprouting the large frame to a bulky door.

Eve gasped and gave a tiny jump in surprise, but she saw that Remus didn't even seem to take notice, nor did he make a move to comfort her. All he did was fix his gaze on the entranceway that was slowly spreading along the wall before them.

When the massive door had finally stopped growing, Remus dropped Eve's arm from his grasp and moved to push through the doors.

Eve heard muffled footsteps and low murmurs, but when she turned around to locate the source of the sound, she saw only an empty hallway stretching out and away from her, and, after a moment's hesitation, she let it be and followed Remus into the mysterious room.

The door swung shut behind the witch and, as she got a good look around the room she was in, she breathed, "Oh, my… This is the Room of Requirement, isn't it? I… I've never been inside it before… Actually, aheh," she gave a small chuckle despite the gloomy atmosphere of the small, dark cell made of thick stone, "I was starting to believe it didn't exist."

Remus, who'd been standing on the other side of the room, staring at the wall with his back to her, turned toward her then, and she saw the tears rolling down his red face as he opened his trembling mouth enough to plead in a hoarse voice, "Eve… kiss me."

Eve fluttered her eyes at him confusedly as he stepped toward her and begged once more, "Please… kiss me one last time."

Before the witch knew it, he'd enveloped her in a tender, yet firm embrace that was unwilling to release her. His lips met hers, and she struggled against him for a moment, refusing to allow him to take from her what he wanted when he'd already told her that they couldn't be an official couple. She stilled, however, when the kiss they shared deepened and she felt more than she'd felt during her snog with Remus in the common room. In the common room, they had been testing how the other liked being kissed, turning their snog into more of an experiment. But here… his kiss was so deep, so gentle and yet so passionate that she was certain he was kissing her very _soul._

The emotion was desperate, as she believed Remus was, for some reason, tasting her and putting actions to his fancying her as if for the very last time.

Eve's lips softened to his, and began kissing him in return with that same longing, as if this were the last time she'd ever hold him, ever kiss him, and ever be with him. One hand of hers reached up to lightly massage the back of his neck, where his hair ended, while the other clung firmly to his arm. She felt a hand of his tangle itself into her curls, and the other press against her back to bring her closer to him, as their mouths drank off one another's affection.

Remus's tongue gave one final caress to hers before he slowly and regretfully pulled away, breaking their kiss.

And Eve felt empty.

As tears began to tumble down her delicate features, a sudden rush bubbled up inside her head, causing her to grip onto the nape of Remus's neck a little more, bringing him forward. He took this as an invitation and sat down with her on the only couch in the room, burying his face into her throat for comfort.

"Eve…" She heard and felt him speak into the flesh at her throat. "There's something you must know about me… Oh, Merlin, these past three weeks with you have got to have been the best of my life… and _that_… _that_ is saying something, Evie." She felt him grip into her back for support and heard him draw in a long, deep, quivering breath.

Eve swallowed hard, trying her best to fight the lightheadedness that was slowly overtaking her. She didn't know where it came from because, although she knew Remus was an exceptional kisser, he'd never made her lightheaded before. The hands she'd buried into his soft hair clutched at him, trying to ground herself to the present as she heard him say, "This… isn't going to be easy… And, oh, you've been so wonderful to me." She felt him silently cry into her throat for a minute before he composed himself once more and continued in a raspy voice, "I… I don't think I'll find another girlfriend like you if you leave me… which would be perfectly understandable if… if you don't want to court some… _thing _like me… And… and we could still be… be friends, if you wanted… I mean, if you didn't even want to be that…" He shuddered and held her tighter. When Eve was just about to open her mouth to ask what in the world he was talking about, he'd continued so quietly she had to strain just to hear, "You see, Eve… I'm… I'm a-"

_The couple on The Lovers card beamed innocently up at Eve as she'd turned it over that fateful day so many weeks ago. It depicted a steady, healthy relationship, but at the same time the Four of Chalices card, which she'd also plucked from her deck, showed that it would not be so simple._

Something needs to be rethought… and reevaluated, _Eve had thought as she set the card off to one side._

"_We could come up with an evolutionary timeline and a story on how the planet was created… Ooh, we can even create a few moons to revolve around the planet!" Eve had excitedly suggested regarding their Astronomy project._

"_No moons," Remus replied at a suspiciously swift speed._

"_You are ill," Eve supplied while watching Remus cough as if he were an ancient wizard with very little time left on his life. She'd watched her friend's health deteriorate that night until he was a mere shell of the lively, mischievous young man he usually was._

"_Eve, I don't know what the bloody hell has gotten into you, but I'll have you that I don't appreciate it in the least. In fact, I'll have you know that it has been quite the nuisance to me." Remus snapped at Eve as she attempted to flirt with him._

"_I know that he certainly has his… his times when he's touchy and his emotions run high, and I'll bet anything that tonight was one of those times. Think about it like a girl's monthly. Don't you feel different when you have your period? He definitely has a certain 'time of the month' so to speak, when he is easily upset," Lily had calmly explained to Eve following the argument between her and Remus._

"_Remus… needs a girl in his life more than you know." Sirius smiled at Anna._

_Remus asked of his all-too-eager fellow Marauder while shutting his sketchbook, "And just why are you so intent on finding me someone, huh?"_

"_If you had a girlfriend, maybe you'd bloody loosen up and be more like yourself for once, instead of being some lunatic who's obsessed with his other half since you'd have someone else to focus on." An enraged Sirius barked back in reply._

_Remus fell through the unending darkness as his wolf stretched through his body and morphed to accommodate the animal's features. The boy screamed for no one to hear as the wolf took over his body, injuring and destroying it._

"_I won't bite-" Remus began as he patted the blanket beside him and turned his head up to look at the stars._

_The wolf snapped at the air harshly before tipping his head back and howling long and loud to the moon._

"_-I promise."_

_Eve gasped when she found Remus lying on the bed in the Hospital, littered with dark-as-night bruises and gashes. _

"_Where else do you have them?" She'd asked as she eyed the bled-through bandages._

_Everywhere._

_Eve leaned closer to his arm to get a better look. If she didn't know any better, she could've sworn she saw scars marring his skin beneath the fresh wounds. He jerked up, snatching up at the blanket quickly and pulling it over his body._

"_I-I'm sorry," Eve apologized. "I didn't mean…"_

_Arcana, smelling the canine beast within the wizard, hunched up her back and hissed at Remus._

"_Arcana! We do not hiss at people!" Eve scolded her cat before the white, fluffy little creature growled and turned away from Remus._

"_Sorry about that. She doesn't usually do that to people," the witch murmured._

_Remus replied, "Cats have never seemed to like me much."_

"_Why did you stop coming? To preschool, I mean. One day you just didn't show up… Oh, Remus, I was so distraught." Eve curled beneath her blanket on the common room couch and gazed into his eyes as he stared into the fire. She discovered there that Remus, as a child, had been held steadfast by the thorns of the roses in his mother's garden as a gargantuan, hideous creature hunted him down like prey and bit him, turning the young boy into one of his kind forevermore._

"_Please… I'm begging you," Mrs. Lupin pleaded into the phone to Remus's preschool teacher, "Remus has taken to a little girl in your preschool- Eve, I believe her name is."_

"_I forbid him from seeing her," came her adamant reply._

_Mrs. Lupin fell to the glass-ridden floor from the mirror she'd shattered and wailed as she bled, "THEY CANNOT DO THIS TO MY SON!" She shuddered and screamed while her husband did his best to comfort her._

"_My parents, they… they couldn't send me anymore," Remus explained._

_Eve flipped over The Moon card, the wolf howling to the celestial body as it lit up the sky. _Not all is as it appears… instincts over rationality… dishonesty, _Eve thought. _This can't be right… Remus would never…

"_Remus, I pulled The Moon. Do you know that that means? It means dishonesty, and that a situation isn't what it appears to be. Have you been untruthful with me?" Eve inquired._

"_Yes, Eve, I have been lying to you."_

_The wolf threw back his head to howl to the night, a fair warning to all that he was on the hunt and would not be merciful._

"_What I'm not telling you is one of those things… those certain topics of discussion that you shouldn't touch upon when you're just starting to court someone." Remus explained, albeit vaguely._

_Eve sprinted at top speed away from the great animal that chased after her in her nightmare, keyed in on her scent, wanting nothing less than to make her his prey. She cried out as she tripped over a root and tumbled onto the ground, giving the wolf the upper hand as he loomed over her and dove in for the kill. She threw her head back and screamed into the night._

"_Eve," Lily whispered, "Remus is in the Hospital Wing again… it's worse than last time."_

"_Remus, are we… official?" Eve asked hopefully as she kissed him._

"_No."_

"_Why? Why can't I be your girlfriend?"_

_The young witch plucked up another card, The Fool. _There may be hazards involved in making a decision that can change one's life to such an extent as this card depicts, but, with smart thinking and a positive outlook, they can be overcome. The Fool stands for fresh beginnings, _Eve had once told herself._

Eve felt herself plummet back into the present from her journey through past memories mixed with visions her mind's eye had given her in the span of barely a moment. She clutched Remus's head to her throat tightly for support as her body shook violently from the power the visions had cost her. Her blood surged rapidly through her veins, but it felt as if the amount of blood in her body were insufficient, as though that were the price of her 

foresight. She felt perspiration drip down her face in buckets, and was sure she was about to lose her dinner as an invisible hand seemed to be gripping at her stomach, causing her to gag.

_A werewolf_, she thought to herself.

"-a werewolf. Oh, Eve, I'm so sorry, I… I wish I could be a better man for you… a better boyfriend… an _official_ boyfriend… I wish I didn't have to tell you this, but you have every right to know the sort of… of beast you're getting involved with, and-"

Eve slid limply from the couch and scurried away on her hands and knees, as her feet didn't feel like they were functioning properly. Adrenaline rushed through her veins by the gallon, it seemed, at the sheer terror of the thought that these visions seemed to be able to come and go as they pleased. What would happen to her if she had a vision at the top of a flight of stairs? Would she fall all the way down? What if one struck her while in water? Would she stop swimming and sink? Visions had terrible side effects on beginner psychics, and she didn't know how long the term "beginner" would apply to her. It could be a month, or a year, or any length of time that she'd have to live in fear of getting hurt or falling ill whenever a vision came to her.

"No, I-I can't right now…" Eve felt the vomit burn at her esophagus, and she knew she had to get out in order not to get it all over the wizard she fancied. Holding her stomach, she found her footing and lunged for the door, terrified by the images that had just flashed before her very eyes, and completely drained of energy because of the amount of visions she'd had in such a short span of time. "I'm s-sorry, Remus, I… I need… need to think… I-I can't do this right now." She put her hand to her mouth as she felt herself heave, but when she didn't get sick, she continued shakily, "I-I'm sorry. I just… just need some time."

Remus, with dried tear tracks still on his cheeks, gave her the most devastated look she'd ever seen. His face drooped, and he truly looked beyond his years at that moment. "I… I understand, Eve… I… I wouldn't want to date something like me, either."

Eve didn't even hear this, however, as she ducked through the door, certain she was going to vomit at that moment. As soon as she slid the door shut, she swallowed back her nausea and turned her back against it to lean on, squeezing her eyes shut to keep the tears in as they burned at the back of her eyes.

_Poor Remus… a werewolf… _She released a quiet sob as she realized how horrible her response to his confession must have looked.

"Oh, Merlin," she whimpered as she covered her face in her hands. "Remus…" _He must hate me now…_

She was torn from her thoughts once more as she felt a pair of hands grip firmly onto each of her arms. Startled, the Gryffindor witch struggled against Peter, who seemed to be losing against her, and James, who held onto her much more tightly, as well as a new wave of nausea that emanated from her stomach.

"What? What is this? Let go of me!" Eve demanded, squeezing her eyes shut in pain as she tried to keep down her dinner. _So _that's_ what I heard before I went into the Room of Requirement with Remus…_

She briefly felt something like cloth rub against her arm and assumed it was something that James was holding before Sirius approached, his face grim and firm, and his wand at the ready.

"Judging by your behavior, I can tell you don't take kindly to Remus's secret." He began as he stepped forward smoothly and pressed the tip of his wand into her throat. She could only blink her gray eyes up at him, as she was battling with the vomit that threatened to surface. "Allow the three of us to make something quite plain." He closed in on her so that his face was a mere breath away from hers and, nose to nose, told her, "You take everything he told you to your grave; you don't utter a word about it to a soul. It would be such a pity," he moved his wand up to run 

along her cheek and brush a stray curl away from her face, "if you chose to do otherwise." Sirius spent the next minute staring her down, making sure that she understood every word that had passed his lips. "Are we clear?"

Eve clutched her stomach as she felt it twitch in and bobbed her head in response. Satisfied, Sirius nodded for his friends to release her, which they did. Finally freed, the witch stumbled down the hall to the nearest bathroom, her heart aching for Remus, and her head puzzled by what she should do about him once she got over the sickness that accompanied her biggest vision yet.

**Author's Note:** _Questions to the readers: _So, how did everyone like this little twist on the werewolf confession scene? Did anyone see this coming, or at least believed that there was more to it than what happened in the last chapter? Please leave the answers to these questions in a **review!**


	25. The Confession's Outcome

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note: **As always, I'd like to thank everyone for their reviews. They really help me understand what the readers like about this fanfiction, which helps me become a better writer.

This fanfiction has reached over twelve thousand hits. Thanks, everyone!

Once again, as stated in my profile, I apologize for the delay in this update; a sudden event popped up that I needed to attend.

**Publish Date: **Thursday, July 24, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Confession's Outcome

Remus, anxiety clouding his thoughts until his mind was as murky as a swamp, stared at the door Eve had left through for the next quarter hour as if she'd fled from him only moments before. The warmth in the room had escaped with her, and the werewolf felt as if he'd been dropped into a dark labyrinth at his girl's rejection of his condition and would never find his way out.

Slowly, and on trembling legs, the usually mischievous yet kind Marauder rose up from the couch and crossed the room to the door, his demeanor uncharacteristically lifeless. He twisted the doorknob, apathetic to how his disheveled hair, red-eyes, and tear-stained cheeks looked to the world around him, and left the Room of Requirement, positive that, as a werewolf, he'd never catch a break in his life.

"Moony," Sirius softly murmured as he halted in his pacing to face the emotionally battered werewolf. "How-How are you… I mean, how are you handling…?"

James and Peter watched as the crushed wizard slumped back against the door, eyes dead and staring off into space as his adam's apple bobbed wildly in his throat and fresh tears spilled down his cheeks.

"I'm such… such a… a _monster!_" He exclaimed, causing James and Peter to jump.

Sirius closed the distance between him and Remus to pull him into a hug as he began to crumple and cry freely. "Shh, shh… There, there, Remus… We'll find you a new girl; don't worry. This time, we'll make sure she's accepting and open-minded-"

"No," Remus spat as he pulled away from his friend, his brown eyes set hard against Sirius clear blue ones. "No… I can't… I can't do this again, guys. I can't-can't have my heart ripped right out of my chest every time I need to tell a girl exactly what I am for her own safety."

"But, Remus-"

"I just can't!" Remus exclaimed. The conversation plunged into thick silence as he sighed and finally told his friends, "Look… maybe it'll just be better if… if I…" He swallowed back the lump that gathered in his throat before continuing, "if I just… stay single… forever…"

"Don't you think you're being a bit dramatic right now, mate?" James chimed in, stepping closer to his friend. "I mean, so what? You've been rejected once; who in this world hasn't?"

"But none of you were rejected because you told your girlfriend you're a werewolf," Remus pointed out. "You were rejected because a girl didn't fancy you or didn't want to court you…" He scoffed and bowed his head to shake it. "Pfft… I'd trade anything in the world for that to be my excuse…" He swiped his toe at the floor and said, "I… I can't court anymore, guys…"

"But Remus," Sirius pleaded.

"No, my mind's made up. If this is how it feels to be rejected because I'm such a horrible monster, then fine; I won't put myself in this position to begin with," Remus decided with a firm nod of his head, wiping away the remainder of the tears on his cheeks.

"Remus," Peter stepped forward to assist his friends in their fruitless attempt to change his mind, "what if Eve still fancies you? Couldn't you just… just talk to her about it? Maybe give her more information about werewolves? She might just be misinformed; I mean, Defense Against the Dark Arts class makes werewolves out to be completely evil." Sirius and James, although a little surprised that the slower of the Marauders made that particular point, nodded their heads vigorously in agreement.

"No. You guys should've seen the look on her face before she left the Room of Requirement; she was… _disgusted_… by me." Remus involuntarily shuddered when the memory replayed in his mind: Eve's face pale with a hint of green that suggested that she was going to be ill. "There's no way on this planet that she could still fancy me."

.x:X:x.

Eve turned the nozzle of the sink all the way over to wash the remains of her sickness down the drain. Leaning heavily against the rim, she turned her face up to gaze into the mirror at her still-pale face.

She felt awful. Not only from vomiting, but because she knew what Remus was thinking. He was probably thinking that her terrified reaction was for his confession. Although that was a pretty big secret he had admitted to her, she would _never_ have acted that way to what he'd said if she hadn't had that vision erupt in her mind out of nowhere. She wished she had a Time-Turner so she could re-do the entire thing, except vision-free.

Panting from the toll her sudden illness had on her, Eve slouched over the sink weakly after vomiting up every scrap of food in her body, intent on drinking some of the water flowing from the faucet to calm her stomach. As she was sipping feebly at the liquid, she heard the door to the girls' bathroom open and a gasp emanate from it.

"Eve! Are you alright?" Anna exclaimed as she dropped her books to the floor and rushed to her friend's side. Pulling Eve up so she was standing erect after murmuring some incoherent response, the blonde pressed her hand to the Gryffindor's forehead and hissed, "Merlin, you're burning up!" She cradled the brunette's face in her hands and said, "And you're pale as snow! What happened to you? You look like you've been crying!" She noted her friend's red, puffy eyes.

Sniffling, Eve bit her lower lip and sniffled, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill through. It was too much for her, though, and it forced her to embrace her friend and sob into her shoulder. "Oh, Anna, it-it's terrible! Re-Remus and I… I'm just not sure where we stand anymore, but… but I think we're through…"

Anna rubbed Eve's back as she trembled and sympathetically replied, "Oh, Eve… I'm so sorry to hear that things didn't work out between you two. You were such a cute couple." Eve whimpered on Anna's shoulder before the latter continued, "What… if you don't mind my asking… What happened?"

Sniffling and wiping the tears from her cheeks, Eve drew in long, deep breaths and said, "Well… Well, the last time I visited Remus in-in the Hospital Wing… he-he told me that he was keeping something from me, bu-but only because it wasn't proper to sp-speak of such things when we're just starting to court. So-So I told him that that was f-f-fine for that time… and now, he… he told me…" Eve recalled as Sirius cornered her and threatened that he'd take action if she failed to keep Remus's secret to herself and, with a swallow, cautiously continued, "he-he told me… what he'd been keeping from me all this time, but before he said it all, I had this-this… this _massive_ vision. I've never felt anything like it in my life! I mean… I had a bit of a vision one time in my dreams, but nothing like this!"

"How was this one different?" Anna asked in confusion.

"This one… was like… like a combination of different memories and visions my third eye put together, and it all hit me at once, as if it were evidence it put together to make me believe Remus's secret. I didn't stand a chance! Oh, Anna, I…" She whimpered and began tearing up again as she said, "I've never been so scared in my life!" Anna hugged her once more as Eve continued, "I had no control over it at all. I mean, some of the images themselves were a bit startling, but that's not the point. It's the principle of the thing! I-I feel as if… as if my third eye has more control over me than I do… like it can put images in my head whether I like it or not whenever it wants to…" She sobbed once and, rolling her eyes heavenward, shakily whispered, "I guess this is what I get for meddling in the beyond… my studies in tarot did this to me… And because I'm a beginner where visions are concerned, it'll make me sick until I can get it more under control. But the worst part, Anna, is that… that Remus must think that my scared reaction to the vision was really toward what he told me!"

"You mean he doesn't know about your vision?"

"No." Eve's lower lip quivered. "He must hate me. I wouldn't blame him if he never wanted to see me again."

"Oh, Eve, don't say that; I'm sure he wants to get back together with you as much as it sounds like you want to get back together with him," Anna assured her friend, giving her a squeeze while she hugged her. After a moment of sniffle-filled silence, she turned and asked with curiosity, "What… What secret _did_ Remus tell you, anyway?"

Wincing, Eve quietly said, "I can't tell you."

Anna's eyelashes fluttered, her feathers ruffled. "You… You can't even tell your best friend?"

Pulling back from the blonde, Eve said, "Oh, Anna, don't be this way; it just… it isn't my place to say… it's just not my secret to tell."

"Oh… well… I suppose I understand… But, surely you can tell me what you saw in your vision?" Anna hopefully inquired.

"No, I can't tell you that, either. The vision told me exactly what Remus was going to say before he said it. Besides, Sirius told me that I had to keep my lips sealed, or else-"

"Sirius told you that?" Anna asked with renewed interest.

Rubbing her nose, Eve nodded while turning off the faucet, "Yeah, he said if I told anyone about Remus's secret… Well, he didn't tell me _exactly_ what he'd do if I told anyone, but I know it can't be good."

"Oh, I can't believe he'd say something like that… I'll have to have a talk with him about that later." _And see if I can't snog Remus's little secret out from him while I'm at it._ Anna thought nosily. "But for now, I'll make sure you get back to your common room alright. It's getting late, you know, and you look like you could use some rest to kiss that sickness of yours goodbye. Come along." Anna threaded her arm beneath Eve's to allow the girl to lean on her when she needed to before stooping to gather her books.

Once they'd left the girls' bathroom, Anna turned to Eve and inquired, "So… What are you going to do? About Remus, I mean. Are you going to talk to him about what he told you and your vision? Are you going to try to get back together with him?"

After a moment, Eve gave a half-hearted shrug of her shoulders and said, "I… I just don't know right now, Anna. I mean… this is a _big_ deal, Remus's secret… and… Oh, I'm so discombobulated right now because of that bloody vision…" Eve rubbed her forehead before continuing, "Well, maybe I'll just take some time to think before I make my final decision on whether or not to stay with him… Yes, that seems like the sensible thing to do. But first, I need to sleep. I'm sure this whole situation will look completely different come morning."

**Author's Note:** _Questions for the readers:_ What do you think will happen? Do you think Eve will get back together with Remus or leave him? Please leave the answers to these questions in a **review**, along with whatever other thoughts you have, and check back on Sunday for the next chapter!


	26. Written in the Stars

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks, as always, to everyone who leaves reviews! They're very helpful!

This fanfiction has reached over thirteen thousand hits! Thanks to all the readers!

Finally, Psycho8 has asked if Eve is a seer or if she just has random moments where memories pop up into her mind. At this point in time, I don't have Eve written as a seer. Because she's practiced with tarot cards since her sixth year at Hogwarts, however, it has made her more sensitive to psychic abilities that have allowed her to have these visions. There is another reason she has these visions, but this reason will be explained in the fanfiction when the time is right. Thanks for the great question!

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Twenty-Six: Written in the Stars

"Now, who can tell me two forms of muggle entertainment?" The muggle studies professor asked while adjusting his thin, crooked glasses on his bulbous nose. His eyes floated over the rather apathetic-looking teenagers before they settled on one of his best students.

"Mr. Lupin."

The name jarred Remus from his moment of micro-sleep. As the full moon was fast approaching, he felt his health slipping further and further from him. He was drained and exhausted all the time, and he was developing something of a fever.

"Would you be so kind as to answer my question for the class?"

Remus stared blankly at the professor. Every member of the Hogwarts staff knew about this condition, was aware that the full moon was close to rising, and understood that he was ill during this time of the month… and this man was asking him to answer a bloody question?

"I… I don't know the answer, sir," Remus sleepily replied, leaning his chin heavily on his palm. "I'm sorry," he said around a yawn he was attempting to stifle.

"Hm… Such a pity you don't find enough interest in this class to keep fully awake," the professor sneered before a hand in the air caught his eye. "Ah, Miss Pankhart. Would you care to enlighten Mr. Lupin on how to properly pay attention in class?"

Remus slowly turned until he could just see Eve out the corner of his eye. Despite the fact that it'd been a week since she'd fled from him when he told her his deepest, darkest, most-guarded secret, she looked, to him, at least, as if she were truly trying to help him out of the mortifying situation he'd been thrown into, as there was no malice in her expression to suggest that she was answering the teacher to put Remus down.

"Please, sir, I only want to answer the question. Two forms of muggle entertainment include the telly and the cinema," Eve replied after lowering her hand.

"Very good, Miss Pankhart," the professor nodded in approval. Turning to the rest of his students, he announced, "Next class, we shall be learning the intricacies of a variety of muggle entertainment. Class dismissed."

The class packed their belongings and rose at once to leave. Eve scrambled to catch up with Remus, but, even when she called out his name, he didn't turn around, and she lost him in the crowds of students spilling into the corridor from their classes.

"Moony!" Sirius bellowed above the noise level of the mass of students as he pushed through the knots of teenagers to reach his friend. "Moony, wait up!" He called as he caught up with the wizard. "Didn't you hear Eve call you?"

After blowing his nose on a tissue he pulled from his pocket, Remus replied, "Yes."

An expectant pause followed, which Sirius broke with, "Well? Aren't you gonna go talk to her?"

"Why should I? She made her choice the moment she left the Room of Requirement! If she doesn't want to be with me, then…" Remus snapped, throwing a glare Sirius's way. He'd been ignoring her ever since the day he'd told her he was a werewolf and, up until then, she'd appeared to be doing the same. He thought maybe she didn't want to talk to him, let alone look at him, ever again, but apparently, he was wrong. Now he didn't know what to believe. He had to stop in order to swallow a lump in his throat before continuing, "I'm sorry, mate, I… I didn't mean to… But the wound is still fresh, you know?"

"I understand, Moons," Sirius assured him while patting him on the back. "'Specially so, considerin' what tonight is."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Remus said with a roll of his eyes.

"You look awful, mate," Sirius noted as he observed his pale friend with bags beneath his eyes and illness settling in. "You didn't look this bad last time."

Remus gazed at Sirius with pathetic, watery eyes before quietly reminding him, "That's because last time, I was distracted. Last time, I was still with Eve."

"Oh… right… sorry," Sirius softly apologized. He was silent for a moment as he turned the corner with Remus. "You know… I really want you to get a girlfriend-"

"I know."

"-so… I've put things on hold with Anna until I can find you a proper girl." That wasn't the only reason why he'd ended his relationship with the Ravenclaw. For one thing, she was getting suspiciously nosy about Remus's secret, and too much so for his taste. For another, he didn't want Remus to feel even worse that, except for Peter, he was the only Marauder without a girlfriend.

"What? Why would you do something like that? You deserve a girlfriend!" Remus exclaimed.

"So do you, Remus! You deserve one even more than I do because you need one more, one to concentrate on instead of your furry little problem-"

"I've lived most of my life without a girlfriend and have been fine, and that's not changing anytime soon!"

"But it is, Remus! Your furry little problem is maturing as you do. You've been more emotionally attached to and affectionate toward Eve, and you know why? I think that it's the time in your furry little problem's life where…" Sirius lowered his voice as he pulled Remus over to a deserted corner and continued, "where it's looking for a partner." He paused to allow the information to settle into his friend's mind before adding, "Now, please keep in mind that this is only a theory, but… I'm not the only one who's noticed you're behaving differently toward this girl; the other Marauders have seen it, too. The drawings, emotions, the-"

"Have you ever considered the fact that maybe I just fancy Eve more than I have my past girlfriends? That maybe I actually like her more because she isn't like the other two, who were either weird or just after you. That I fancy her because _I_ picked her out instead of _you_ picking her out for me?"

Sirius blinked and said with a small grin, "Or… it could be that."

Remus exhaled in amusement at his friend before quietly inquiring, "Did you _really_ break up with Anna?"

"Yes." Sirius nodded. "You are far more important to me than a girl is. All my friends are. I'd die for you and the other Marauders. You know that, right?"

Remus bobbed his head.

"Good." He smiled, though it disappeared when Remus took out another tissue and sneezed into it. "Here, why don't you let me walk you to Madam Pomfrey and see if she has anything to give you for that illness of yours? We may as well try to make you more comfortable before the moon rises."

.x:X:x.

Eve shivered, even beneath her thick comforter, clutching Woofie tightly to her as she whimpered and watched the moon through the window.

_I'm a werewolf_, he'd told her, which meant he was somewhere, right now, not in control of his own body. Instead, the animal was in charge of it, and with that power came the change to accommodate the wolf's frame. Oh… the pain… the sheer agony that sweet, sweet boy had to go through…

Eve squeezed her eyes shut and buried her forehead into her pillow, as if trying to banish the thought. So _that_ was where all his wounds came from whenever she visited him in the Hospital Wing to take care of him. How someone could endure all that pain and loss of control each and every month, she'd never understand…

Loss of control… That was exactly what she'd experienced that day in the Room of Requirement when that tornado of visions ripped through her, leaving her in such an ill state that she _still_ didn't feel one-hundred percent. Although the vomiting had subsided days before and she'd since regained color in her face, she now had to duel with pounding migraines that made her want to do little more than sleep, let alone spend her time in class or the noisy corridors. She hadn't even been able to speak with Remus about what had happened when he'd confessed to her his secret because she wanted to be perfectly well for him when she had that particular conversation. She owed him that much.

"Oh!" She gasped as she threw the covers off her form and sat at the edge of the bed. Curiosity got the better of her, and she tiptoed softly over the chilly floorboards to sit at the window seat. She embraced the stuffed animal wolf to her stomach once more and patted his ears to relieve some of her nerves as she found the moon hanging low on the horizon- telling her that she'd been up all night worrying over Remus- though could not see the young man her heart still ached for.

"Remus… where are you?" She whispered to herself as she tilted her head this way and that in hopes of maybe catching a glimpse of him. Eve could only assume he went outside each month, but she didn't know for sure since 

she hadn't been told. She couldn't fathom where else he could be kept, unless there was a secret place within the castle that was safe enough to hold him without the chance of escape.

Eve could hear stirring from one of the beds, so she turned to see Lily yawn and slip from her four-poster. The redhead made for the bathroom, and then realized that someone was at the window.

Squinting for a moment, as the full moon was luminous compared to the darkness in the girls' dormitory and the blackness of sleep, she could finally make out who was perched on the window seat.

"Eve?"

Eve nodded a little, squeezing Woofie tightly to her. "Yeah."

"What are you doing up at this hour? Is everything alright?" Lily inquired as she walked over to Eve. She brushed the long, airy skirt of Eve's white nightgown off a portion of the bench and smoothed down the green pants of her own pajamas before taking a seat next to her. The brunette gathered her skirts beneath her to give the other girl a bit more room, but she insisted, "No, I'm fine, I have enough room."

Eve sighed and, looking out the window, whispered, "It's… It's about Remus."

Lily nodded slowly before holding up a finger to tell Eve to wait one moment as she scuttled back to her bed and retrieved her wand. Sitting back down next to her fellow Gryffindor, she waved her wand in the perimeter of the area she and Eve occupied and muttered, "_Silencio._" Once she was certain the spell had been cast properly, she turned and began, "James told me that Remus told you about his… his condition."

Sitting up straight as a ruler, Eve asked after a awe-filled moment's pause, "You… You know about his being a… a…"

"A werewolf? Yes. I've known for some time, now." Lily stopped for a minute to collect her thoughts before telling Eve, "You know, when he first told me… I was shocked. I didn't think someone as nice as him could be anything other than human, especially with what they teach us about werewolves in Defense Against the Dark Arts. But, you know what?" Lily turned to face the other girl. "I learned from him that… that you can't only depend on what you learn in class for your education; you have to rely on instinct, your intuition, and, most importantly," the redhead placed a hand to her chest, "your heart."

Eve felt the sting of tears in her eyes, and she blurted out, "Oh, Lily, I don't know what to do! When Remus told me his secret, I… I had a vision so big that it made me ill. I was so scared… scared that I couldn't even control what happened in my own head anymore that I think Remus must've mistaken my fear for the vision for being afraid of him. I'm _still_ feeling the side effects, and I haven't gotten the chance to talk with him about what happened. I've felt the best today out of the past week and when I tried to call out for him to talk to me, he wouldn't turn around, and… and…" She buried her head into her arms and sobbed, "I _still_ don't know what to do about Remus! On the one had, he's got to be the sweetest boy I've ever met, but on the other… I don't know if I'm going in way over my head if I get back together with him. I-I don't even know what courting a werewolf would entail…"

"Shh, shh, shh," Lily softly soothed while wrapping her arms around Eve to offer comfort in a hug. "There, there, I'm sure you two could figure that out together." The brunette sniffled, and Lily stroked her hair back so it wouldn't stick to her tear-soaked face. Smiling gently at her, as if trying to tell her that it would all be alright. "All I'm going to say is this: Remus is still the same wonderful young man either way, human or werewolf. He hasn't changed just because he told you his secret. In fact, you should hold him higher in your eyes that he did so, seeing as he only tells his closest friends about his condition. He did a noble thing in letting you, his girlfriend, know about his being a werewolf, as he could've just as easily kept the truth from you. He really cares about you, Eve; I hope you see that." Eve whimpered as she pulled back to nod her head, a few stray tears silently rolling down her cheeks. "He is very chivalrous… His confession speaks volumes about his loyalty and honesty."

Eve furrowed her eyebrows slightly as she gazed thoughtfully down to the moonlit grounds below the window, and Lily knew that she had gotten through to the witch. "Whatever you choose," she restated, "it will be your choice. Your life is not mine to live," she rose to her feet, "so it is strictly up to you as to whether you feel you can find another young man better than Remus Lupin, or if you believe you can truly be happy with a werewolf. It's your call." With that, she turned on her heel and sauntered to the bathroom, satisfied with all she had said. _It is in her hands, now_, she told herself as she pushed the door open.

"What… What have I been doing?" Eve whispered shakily to herself after a minute had passed. "What have I _done?_" She frantically found herself throwing Woofie onto her bed as she ran out the girls' dormitory, down the stairs past the dying fire in the common room, through the portrait, and inside the castle.

_I need to tell him… Need to let him know…_ She thought. _Surely the moon will set before I even get to the castle's entrance._

However, the moon sat, determined and stubborn, on her throne in the sky as the young witch galloped through the corridors and down the stairs. The moon called for the stars to bring upon the destiny Eve was born with, the night that would set in stone the rest of her very existence. In homes all across the wizarding world, Astrologists shivered and shrieked as the stars sent to them messages of what was soon to happen because of the choice one girl was making.

This was her decision; this was Christine's point of no return to run back to her Phantom, though the consequence for leaving him in the first place was to be severe.

Oh, yes; this night would truly be unforgettable.

**Author's Note:** _Questions to the readers: _What did you think of this chapter? What do you think is about to happen? Please leave the answers to these questions in a **review**; I'd love to reach over two-hundred reviews with this chapter, as the number is so close!


	27. Christine's Fall

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** As always, I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time to leave a review and would like to encourage all the readers to do so!

There are over fourteen thousand hits to this fanfiction. Thanks, everyone!

_**WARNING:**_ There is some blood and injuries in this chapter.

**Publish Date:** Monday, August 04, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Christine's Fall

Remus has to be somewhere out there, he just has to be, Eve thought frantically as she ran to the front door and yanked at it with all her might. It gave way with a low metallic groan as it opened to the night. The wind whipped at her and chilled her to the bone, and she shifted to pull the shawl of her nightgown tighter around her shoulders.

Teeth chattering, Eve stepped out into the animated night; trees bowing to the harsh wind, clouds soaring quickly across the sky, and stars twinkling rapidly as if they were trying to shove through the clouds to better their view of the event that was about to take place.

"Remus!" Eve called out to the night, waiting for its echo to fade and die before trying again, "_Remus!_" When she still received no answer, she cautiously stepped out further, until she was walking along the school grounds that ran alongside the Forbidden Forest.

_Could he be in there?_ She thought to herself as she gazed into the realm of seemingly infinite darkness. _It's against school rules…_ The idea burst into her mind of its own accord, but she dismissed it as she said to herself, "To hell with it. Remus needs to hear this."

As she climbed over the first twisted root and into the Forbidden Forest, the moon still watched from her seat in the sky above the foolish act that young infatuation would soon cause.

"Ugh… _ouch!_" Eve hissed as she stepped on her fourth sharp rock. Bending down to inspect one of her bleeding feet, she thought with a wince, _Going outside into the Forbidden Forest in the dead of night with no shoes on… Definitely not one of my better ideas._

Leaning against a large, knotted tree to give her poor feet a rest, Eve panted and looked around. "Remus… where could you possibly be?" She whispered, her eyes sweeping every tree in search of a moving shadow that might belong to him.

She was just about to start her search again when she heard a thick branch snap somewhere behind her.

"Remus?" Eve asked hopefully as she began limping around the tree. "Oh, Remus, I-I was so worried about you, I… There's something I've been meaning to tell… you…"

Eve froze. Hunched before her was a gargantuan gray wolf with silver eyes and hungry, sharp teeth.

And it saw her, too.

"Oh… Oh, no…" Eve breathed, and glanced up at the sky to see that the accursed moon hadn't set like she'd calculated it would.

Dropping her gaze back to the werewolf, who was growling and baring his fangs to her, she licked her lips and pleaded, "Please… Remus, it's me, Eve. You must remember me deep down, you must."

But the snap he took at her told her that his memory of her was long gone, and, with a screech, she turned and sprinted faster than she ever had before in her life. She heard the animal howl from behind her and then take off at a thunderous run after her, tearing through the woods, ready to make this girl his prey.

Eve bounded through the trees, trying desperately to escape the creature whose breath she could feel down the back of her neck, whose pounding heartbeat flooded her ears alongside her own, and whose nose was locked on her scent.

The shawl slipped from Eve's shoulders and landed on the ground, buying her but a moment of time as Moony pounced and chomped on it.

Once his attention was back on the witch again, she screamed and pushed her fatigued legs and wounded feet to the limit as she said a silent prayer that she'd live to see her Remus's warm eyes again in place of the animal's cold, unrecognizing ones.

A root caught her foot and threw her to the ground.

"Unh!" Eve grunted as she grimaced and reached to the back of her head to massage the tender sore there.

That's when she remembered the dream she'd had that marked the first vision and official milestone of her psychic abilities.

"No," she whispered with tears in her eyes as the animal rose up and hovered about her, hunching his back as he prepared to lunge and sink his fangs into her.

Eve heard rapid footfalls in quick succession that sounded to her like a horse's galloping, but as soon as she turned her head to see what it was, her world went black. Her side was pierced by a group of blunt tips, and she felt them catch on her ribs, ripping and breaking them. She could feel herself fly through the air, tumbling, falling, until she landed with a sickening thud on the ground.

Eve tried to gather as much air into her battered lungs as she could, but the wet sounds resulting from her inhaling coupled with the agony digging into her torso told her that something was horribly wrong.

Gathering as much strength as she could muster, the young witch threw her head back to the retreating, cowardly moon and screamed. She screamed in fear that the werewolf would surely have her as his feast. She screamed in the pain that kept her motionless and scarcely able to breathe. She screamed for the relationship that could have been but never was.

Eve heard barking some distance away from her. In which direction or what distance from her, she didn't know, but she heard it stop as it drew closer to her and Sirius appeared in her vision, which she was trying to focus.

His expression was folded into a deep grimace upon seeing the broken girl splayed on the ground, bloody and limp.

"Shh, shh," he soothed, and any previous thought he had of her telling Remus's secret to everyone melted away. "Shh, there, there, now. You'll be alright, no worries." He glanced off to where he'd last seen Moony and found that he was still gone.

_Perfect, Prongs is still distracting him, then. _He thought, as it had been the stag animagus who'd thrown Eve away from the werewolf to save her.

Eve's screams eventually faded down to soft whimpers, groans, and sobs as she tried to force herself to concentrate on Sirius and not the pain that boiled within her.

"That's right, Eve," Sirius encouraged as he tenderly smoothed his thumb over the tear marks on her face, careful to avoid any of her injuries. He shed his cloak and draped it over her pale form, noting that she had lost plenty of blood, and would be extremely cold because of it. When she was relatively composed, he told her gently, "Eve, I'm sorry… but this _is_ going to hurt." With that, he quickly but lightly scooped up the wounded girl into his arms, causing her to cry out shrilly, but Sirius shushed her once more until she was only sniffling and crying lightly.

"You're going to be just fine, I promise," Sirius vowed as he began to stride back into the castle as quick as he could without hurting the poor girl further. "I'm going to get you to the Hospital Wing right away."

At these words, Eve began to struggle, though it pained her to do so, as she could actually feel some of her broken ribs dig into her lungs. "Erg… No… No… We have to get Remus…" She pleaded. "He's still out there, he's all alone…"

"Remus will be just fine, Eve," Sirius softly told her as he tried to get her to remain still in his arms. "He's done this for years. He can take care of himself."

Eve whimpered when she realized that Sirius wasn't about to let her go, and harrumphed as he continued walking on. It was another minute before it struck her to ask, "What… What was that thing that attacked me? And… And why were you out so late at night?" She winced and cried out as she felt her broken bones click in her torso, but forced herself to pay the injuries no mind.

Sirius drew in a deep breath as he continued walking with Eve. "Well… I'm not sure what it was that attacked you," he lied. "But, I thought the answer to your last question would be obvious. Why would I leave my friend when I can stand watch for him on the full moon?"

This seemed to satisfy Eve for the time being, and she was actually growing as comfortable as she could be with her aching ribs before they arrived at the Hospital Wing.

"Madam Pomfrey?" Sirius called out. "Madam Pomfrey, come quickly!"

While the Healer bustled out from her office, the wizard quickly whispered to Eve, "Don't offer up any information; she never asks questions about what happened."

"What is it? What is- Oh, gracious!" She clucked as she watched Eve's blood drip onto the floor and Sirius's shoes.

She lifted up the cloak from Eve's body to find her once-white nightgown now crimson with her own blood and sticking to her body and, what was worse, her wounds.

"Lay her down over here," Madam Pomfrey instructed while gesturing at an empty cot. He obeyed, and Eve cried out as she was moved from her previous position and her broken bones shifted.

Madam Pomfrey surveyed her for a moment and said, "I… I have only enough bone-mending and pain-killing potion left for one person…" Sirius seemed to have heard something, because he poked his head out from the cubicle surrounding the cot and then quickly ran off. "But, you really need it, child." She decided that Remus would have to wait awhile this full moon for his wounds to be numbed and cured, seeing as Eve had arrived at the Hospital Wing before him.

Knowing that Madam Pomfrey had been saving those specific potions for Remus, Eve said, "No!" She coughed then, and blood gathered in her mouth. She quickly spat it onto the ground, and the Healer gasped.

"Don't be stubborn, child. You're seriously injured!" She made to leave, but Eve spoke up again, this time, working through the pain to elevate herself onto her elbows.

"I said no!" She panted, having a difficult time catching her breath. Balancing back on her shaky arms, she breathed to the stunned Healer, "In Wizarding Law, Healers cannot force treatment on a conscious, of-age witch or wizard if they do not wish it. Only minors or those who are unconscious may be treated without consent, and because I am neither, my wishes are to be adhered to, else I have the right to take this case to court. I will not allow you to give me the last of your pain-killing or bone-mending potion… however, I _will_ consent to taking a Sleeping Draught."

Eve was certain she'd never seen Madam Pomfrey's eyes so wide before, and there was a vein throbbing in her forehead that, had the young witch not been in so much pain, would've been amusing to watch pulse.

"You're a stubborn girl," the Healer insisted before quickly leaving to retrieve a vial of the Sleeping Draught.

Drained completely of what little energy and strength she possessed, Eve gently reclined onto the cot before Madam Pomfrey bustled back in with the potion in hand.

"Are you certain this is what you want?" She inquired and waited for Eve to nod to uncork the tube and lift it to her lips.

"One last thing," Eve said as she felt the rim touch her lower lip. "I hereby withdraw consent for you give me _anything_ while I'm asleep that can't also be given to the next injured person who needs your potions." Just as she said this, she heard a commotion at the entrance of the Hospital Wing, and could make out the Marauders' voices.

Madam Pomfrey's face wilted before she nodded and tipped the vial into the patient's mouth, sending her to a place where she wouldn't hurt.

.x:X:x.

Remus didn't awaken until the night after the full moon. He'd slipped in and out of consciousness all that day, but was so battered he couldn't stay completely awake. He didn't hear the hushed conversations James and Sirius had had about why the only thing James could do to save Eve was to throw her and not Remus, seeing as the wolf was too heavy to throw with his antlers and she wasn't. He hadn't heard Eve assert herself to the Healer for his own sake, nor had he heard Eve's low whimpers every so often that would alert Madam Pomfrey that she was in need of more Sleeping Draught that would keep her asleep until more helpful potions were ready…

Until now.

Remus's eyelids fluttered open upon hearing the soft groans of pain pass through the thin curtain from the cot over from his. Squinting into the slivers of shadows that sliced through the ribbons of light streaming in from the windows, he could just barely make out through the fabric the silhouette of the patient in the cubicle beside his.

Sitting up on the mattress, he checked himself to find to his momentary delight that his bones and wounds were mostly healed. A little more rest, and he'd be almost up to par.

He heard the coo again, and slid carefully off the cot to walk over to the curtain and pop his head in through it.

Remus felt his heart drop and his stomach turn when he found, to his horror, a broken Eve laying in the cot.

He cautiously approached as he felt a burning lump form in his throat and tears sting his eyes. No, this couldn't be happening, she couldn't be lying there, paler than death, bloody, and looking as if she'd been attacked by a… by a…

"No…" He whispered to himself as he approached. "No… Please… Please, no…" He reached her side and gazed at her furrowed eyebrows dipped just above a black eye. Those beautiful lips he'd always adored stealing kisses from had a bloody split. His eyes traveled lower to the massacre that was her torso. Blood had stained her nightgown around her ribs… but, curiously enough, not by her neck. If he'd attacked her, surely there would have been a vicious bite at the neck…

He leaned over her carefully and saw to his temporary relief that nothing marred the tender flesh at her throat.

Remus slumped over the edge of her cot at this small assurance, but it occurred to him that he could have bit her somewhere else…

… Her torso was so bloody…

He felt his lower lip wobble as tears welled up in his eyes at the thought that he'd ripped his teeth right into this innocent girl's body and infected her with the disease and curse that was lycanthropy.

Remus found a horizontal slit in Eve's nightgown at the bellybutton that Madam Pomfrey must've made in order to tend to her wounds easier.

His heart racing, his panting heavy, he took the edge of her nightgown that resided at her stomach and lifted it up just enough to expose a couple of her lower ribs, but he lost all strength when he found thick layers of gauze tightly wound around her body completely bled through.

_I… I did this… I infected her, I… I took her life from her… I… I'm such a… a… monster…_ Remus thought to himself as he collapsed into a sobbing and wailing heap at the edge of the mattress.

"Eve! Eve, I'm so sorry! I'm… so… sorry! I… I don't even deserve your forgiveness, I…" He drifted into quieter sobs that shook his whole body. _So that's why I transformed back with a shawl in my mouth.,_

Eve's hand found its way onto the top of his head as she whispered, "Remus…" and patted his hair lightly.

Remus jumped up immediately, but allowed her to gently pull him so he was closer to her so as to hear what she was going to say.

"Remus, listen to me," she whispered to him, her eyes (rather, the one the wasn't black) wide and holding his gaze. "I… I was wandering through the forest… I found you… Found _the wolf_… He chased me… but he didn't do this to me." Remus blinked confusedly. "Something else did. Another animal, I think, from the Forbidden Forest."

Remus felt his heart slow to a more normal pace as he sighed with relief. She hadn't been bitten, then! If he could've picked her up and swung her around in his arms right then, he would have.

"The reason…" She licked her lips and continued in a hoarse voice after drawing a wet breath in that did not go unnoticed by Remus, "the reason why I went into the forest… was for you." Eve moved her bruised hand to cover his, and she continued with a ghost of a smile, "I… I tried to find you… to tell you…" Her chin wobbled, and her eyes welled with tears as she pressed on, "I wanted to find you to tell you that… that I've decided you're the same person as you were before you told me you were a werewolf… I want to be with you, Remus. Truly, I do."

A million thoughts flew around Remus's head at once. He was still getting over the shock that she was not only injured, but that he'd originally believed that she'd been bitten. Even though he now knew the opposite to be true, the adrenaline was still there, causing him to be a bit jittery from the overload his nerves had undergone. And _now_ was the time for Eve to ask to be an official couple with him?

_It was because of me that she was even in the Forbidden Forest in the first place…_ He thought to himself as he squeezed his eyes shut against the tempting offer. No, this couldn't be. He could never put her in danger again like she had been put in the night before.

With a small shake of his head, and one final look of longing, Remus backed up until he was in his cot with the curtain separating them both. Curled up tightly beneath his blanket, he sobbed silently into his pillow at the long, lonely life he believed himself destined to live.

"Re-Remus?" Eve called out in disbelief. She'd thought he'd be happy to be back together with her, so much so that the anticipation of seeing him in such a jolly state had made her forget about her own pain… until now.

Biting back a groan, she tried again as a strong ache gripped at her sides, "Remus? Please…" She sighed when she waited for a minute and still received no answer.

Sniffling, she said, "Would… Would you at least talk with me?" She whimpered as she continued, "I… I've never been hurt this badly before, and… and I'm s-sort of scared…"

Remus had to bite into his fist to keep from wailing out at the pain and fear he heard in his- _No, not mine, anymore_- Eve's voice.

When he still neglected to respond, she lightly poked her hand through his curtain and pleaded, "W-Well… Well, if you don't feel like talking, w-would you mind, please, h-holding my ha-hand?" She sounded desperate and shrill as she begged this time for him, but he still didn't respond. Even though he could've just reached out and taken her hand without any problem at all, he didn't want to lead her on.

She kept her hand stuck out like that until about fifteen minutes later, when she couldn't hold it out any longer because it had grown cold and numb. The agony of his rejection was far worse than the physical pain she'd been in for the past day, and made her heart beat sorely for him.

And so, she finally cried out, "Madam Pomfrey? If it's finished… I'm ready for that painkiller potion, now."

**Author's Note:** _Questions to the readers: _What does everyone think of this chapter? I know some people who reviewed wrote that they thought she'd get bitten, so what does everyone think about the little twist that she was shoved away by James in his animagus form? I'd love to hear what each and every reader has to say in the form of a **review**! I'd love to try and reach over 220 reviews for this chapter!


	28. The Phantom Releases Christine

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** As always, I'd like to thank each reviewer for writing in their thoughts on this fanfiction. Please keep them coming each chapter, everyone!

This fanfiction has reached over fifteen thousand reviews. Thanks to all the readers!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, August 10, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Phantom Releases Christine

Remus awoke accompanied only by slight twinges of pain scattered throughout his body, but a storm raged in his mind as he recalled Eve's desperate and agonizing cries out to him.

Since his friends had dropped by to see how he was doing, he'd asked them what Eve had meant when she told him that she'd seen him roaming the forest.

"I transformed in the Shrieking Shack last night," Remus whispered quietly, "so she can't be correct in saying that I was in the forest… right?"

The other three Marauders shared a glance before James offered, "Ah, well… you were a bit more, uh… how shall I say… _aggressive_ than usual, for some reason, and you seemed intent on getting out of the shack… You took a few swipes at us, though you missed, I promise you," he quickly added as Remus's eyebrows shot up, "so we figured it'd just be safer for us to let you run around in the forest for a while. We honestly weren't expecting anyone outside."

Remus could only nod and agree with their judgment; how were they to know someone else was outside the castle so late at night? Besides, it wasn't as if they'd released him on a whim, they were doing it for their own safety, which was most certainly important to do.

He'd dismissed the three, assuring them he'd meet up with him when he was done changing, and that they needn't stick around for him.

Remus had carefully pulled on his uniform, minding the tender wounds that were slower to heal. While he draped his robes around his frame, the sound of a soft sigh caught his ear from the cubicle beside his, and he paused in his work.

_Eve_.

Dropping his hands from the ties of his robes, he swallowed and tiptoed over to the curtain barrier, peeking discreetly around the edge of it to check if the witch was still sleeping.

She was.

Drawing the drape aside, he watched her chest rise and fall easily, deeply, whereas before her breaths were shallow and wet, as her lungs had brushed against her shattered ribs with each breath she'd taken. This relieved him greatly, since this had to mean that the potions she'd been given- at a much later time than his, for some strange reason- were doing their job, and she was sure to be more at ease.

As he approached, he allowed his fingers to trail along the flesh of her cheeks, now flush and healthy, that had been whiter than winter mere hours ago.

He stroked her warm flesh, and, in her sleep, she smiled into his touch.

"You're always so warm, Eve," he whispered to her, as he had the first time she'd visited him in the Hospital Wing and he'd felt so terribly, terribly cold.

Just like he did right now on the inside.

After pulling up another blanket over her small form to ensure that she stayed toasty warm, he tucked her in, careful of the injuries that were still healing.

As his hands settled onto the mattress on either side of her body, he couldn't help but feel that he wouldn't mind holding her like this, if they were a couple, that is. Her body was so soft between his arms, and she looked so innocent, so vulnerable in her sleep that it pulled at his heartstrings to be there for her, support her, and protect her from the world… from himself…

He raised his gaze to her beautiful face again and found that the black eye had faded into a light purple-gray, and it was still melting back into her complexion fast. The split that marred her soft, kissable plump lips had healed considerably, and only looked like a tiny paper cut that was still healing. He knew that, in a short time, she'd look as good as new, but what really eased his nerves was the fact that her lovely face was going to remain unscarred. He wouldn't forgive himself if her face were marred in any way because of him; in his mind, a girl who looked like that shouldn't have any taint to her beauty. In his mind, she shouldn't have to suffer the same fate as him.

Leaning down to press his forehead to hers, Remus inhaled her scent of lilacs while he nuzzled her. With a sigh, he whispered to her, "Eve… I want to say that… it's not that I don't _want_ to be with you, but that I _can't_ be with you. You were nearly… nearly… nearly _killed_," he swallowed the lump in his throat, "because of me, and now… you're hurt." Resting his head onto the pillow beside hers, he continued breathing into her ear, "This is for the best for both of us, I just know it." As if on cue, Eve furrowed her eyebrows and frowned sternly. "I know you can't hear me… but I want to tell you that I don't just fancy you, I _adore_ you. You're so kind, so caring, and so brave, I…" He grinned a little as he caressed her cheek and admitted, "I… envy you for it. If I were human, I would be yours in a heartbeat- and officially so."

Remus was suddenly overcome with the urge to take one more kiss from her, and brought his mouth so that it was mere millimeters from hers… but he couldn't do it. He couldn't take from her what wasn't his to take. Instead, he ghosted his lips over hers for a moment before nuzzling her forehead with his.

Lifting himself up from the mattress, the Phantom released Christine from his grasp, free to be with another pure soul who wasn't nearly so tainted as he.

**Author's Note: **_Question to the readers:_ I'm curious to know what the readers would like to see happen to Remus and Eve and their relationship? I'm also interested to read how the readers view this chapter. I was originally going to write up a different chapter, but I came up with the idea for this one and decided to write this one first before writing the other chapter, as I feel it really adds to the fanfiction. As always, I encourage everyone who read this chapter to please **leave a review! **Please check back Wednesday or Thursday for an update!


	29. Angry Anna

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks once again for all the reviews, everyone! I'd like to encourage all the readers to review!

**Publish Date:** Thursday, August 14, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Angry Anna

Anna was a girl on a mission.

She'd frequently visited Eve in the Hospital Wing in between classes while she was sleeping and even spoke to her to tell her all the latest gossip, how the day was going, the assignments in her classes, and the like. She knew that Eve had opted for a Sleeping Draught, but she wasn't sure if she could hear her… Oh well, it was the thought that counted, anyway.

That morning, however, had been different. That morning, Eve had looked scads better- not perfect, but still an improvement- and she'd woken up.

"Oh, Anna," Eve had cried out as she embraced her best friend. "I feel so much better; it doesn't hurt to breathe, I can actually open my left eye again," she stopped to lick her lower lip, testing the wound there, "and, though my lip still stings, it's almost healed!"

"That's great!" Anna had replied, taking a step back to survey Eve. "Oh, you look marvelous; almost good as new!"

Anna had given Eve a bulging bag then and said, "I asked Lily to fetch me your uniform from your dresser…" She stuck her hand into the bag and produced…

"Along with your brush. Your hair looks a right fright, Eve!" Eve giggled at the resulting mental image that popped into her head of her curls standing straight up on end.

"Hey, _you_ lay in a hospital bed for over a day and see how _your_ hair fares," Eve teased her friend.

"It'd probably look a lot better than yours does right now, I can tell you that!" Anna jested while motioning for Eve to sit up.

Anna took a seat behind Eve and attacked her tangled mane with the brush until the brunette yelped a few times. The Ravenclaw sheepishly grinned and said, "Sorry, Eve. I'll be gentler."

After a minute or two of Anna's curl taming, she asked softly, "So… has Remus dropped by to check up on you, or…?"

Eve's eyes dropped down to her hands and she swallowed. Keeping her voice as low and controlled as possible, she murmured, "Oh, uh, yeah… He did."

Anna waited for a continuation while brushing through one particularly knotted curl, but finally pressed, "Well? What happened?"

"He was, uh… in the cot next to mine… he was hurt… again," Eve paused as she heard Anna mutter something about how accident-prone the wizard was before continuing, "and he, um… He came into this cubicle…" She choked up, and Anna stopped brushing her friend's hair to rub her back soothingly. "When… When I told him what had happened to me… and then… then told him I still wanted to be with him…" She buried her face into her hands and let the tears flow. "He wasn't himself at all! He wouldn't-wouldn't talk to me when I asked him… I even pleaded with him just to hold my hand for a spot of comfort, but he wouldn't… and…"

Anna hurriedly gathered Eve into a hug and held her while she cried. "Oh, Anna, I must've done something wrong, I must've… I…" _Everything was going just fine for Remus and me before he told me about… about his secret… but it seems like he's reacting to the confession worse than I am, as if he needed to admit it to himself…_

The Ravenclaw shushed her friend, urging her to calm down, rubbing her back to help her do so. After a few sob-filled minutes, Eve's cries had dissipated into sniffles, giving Anna the perfect chance to lightly ask, "What… What _exactly_ happened to you to get you in the Hospital Wing?"

Eve tensed up and, rubbing her nose, she pulled away from her friend and murmured with her eyes down, "I… I can't tell you."

Anna dropped her hands from her friend's shoulders and swallowed. What was it with all these sudden secrets? First Eve couldn't tell her about this secret of Remus's, and now…

_Maybe… Maybe this has to do with Remus's secret, whatever it is_, Anna thought to herself. She drew in a deep breath, held it for ten seconds, and then slowly released it. This was starting to get on her nerves. She wanted to be a good friend, she wanted to help Eve, but she didn't know how to do that if she wasn't sure of what all these secrets were about.

"It… It's okay," Anna sighed, patting Eve on the arm. The brunette sniffled and glanced up at Anna hopefully. "It's okay. I… I understand." Yes, Anna was a good friend.

"I want to help." She smiled at Eve, who mirrored her expressions. The brunette witch looked as if she were about to say something when Anna continued, "Here, why don't you brush the rest of your hair," she handed her the brush, "and pull on your uniform and meet me in the Great Hall for lunch? I just remembered I have something else I need to do."

Eve blinked, but smiled and nodded at her friend. "Alright, I'll meet you for lunch. Thanks so much for understanding, Anna." She pulled the blonde into a hug and said, "What would I do without you? You're the best friend a girl could ask for."

Anna had left then, and checked several different places in search of Remus to confront him about leaving Eve the way he had; she'd checked the Great Hall, the library, the kitchen, outside by the lake, and then finally caught him by the portrait that led into the Gryffindor Common Room.

Yes, she was a best friend on a mission.

"Remus!" She called out, and Remus turned, looking quite worn and tired.

"Bloody hell; I'm in for it, now," he muttered under his breath as he caught sight of Eve's best friend hurrying toward him.

All he was trying to do was go to his own bed (which was actually comfortable compared to the cots in the Hospital Wing) and catch a little shut-eye that wouldn't be interrupted by a spring digging into his back, and now he was being tracked down by the best friend of his unofficial former girlfriend. Anna had picked the wrong day to do this.

_Girls and their best friends seem to act as if they're one in the same person; if you've upset one of them, you've upset both of them._ "What?" He asked loud enough for the blonde to hear.

"What the _bloody hell_ do you think you're doing?" A cross Anna snapped as she stepped between Remus and the portrait with her hands settled on her hips.

"I'm _trying_ to gain entry to my own house's common room, but you're hindering me in even that simple task!" Remus exclaimed, trying to think up a way out of this situation before Anna could bark at him for rejecting her best friend. "I'd appreciate it if you'd let me through."

"No, not that; I mean what the bloody hell are you doing treating my best friend that way? All she wants is to be with you, Remus, and she's done nothing wrong to you to deserve being treated this way! I _know_ you fancy her, I just _know_ it by the way you've acted around her, and by the way Sirius acted when he broke things off with me and I mentioned you and Eve. Because you two still care about one another and would like to be together, I see no reason why you shouldn't be," she said primly, a furious blush reddening her cheeks.

"What business is it of yours when this is between Eve and me-" Remus began sharply, losing his already-dwindling patience further as a dull headache settled down in his temples, but he was interrupted.

"What 'business' it is of mine is that Sirius has left me over it, and Eve is beside herself wondering what she did wrong! You tell me right now why you won't give her another chance, whatever it is-"

Stepping up to Anna so he was nose-to-nose with her, he told her, "Believe me when I say my reasoning is beyond your understanding."

"Is that a slight at my intelligence?" Anna asked, offended.

"No; it's just that you don't have the whole story- everything that Eve knows. And…" He retreated back a step as if he'd just heard what she'd stated a minute before, and murmured, more to himself than her, "Merlin, she _must_ understand; she can't be with someone like me… She deserves so much better… _so_ much better…"

"She deserves _you_," Anna asserted. "She wants to be with _you._ Please, for her sake, for my sake, for Sirius's sake, and, especially for your sake, drop whatever noble act you're trying to put on and go back to her. I _know _you can make things work." She recalled the time when Eve had repeatedly pulled The Lovers tarot card, which, the Gryffindor had explained, was a card that depicted a large and important part in one's life. She wouldn't have pulled that card repeatedly without fail so many times in a row if it didn't mean anything. "You just _have_ to make things work. _Please!_"

"I'm sorry, Anna. Truly, I am. But my relationship with Eve, or, rather, my current lack thereof, is none of your business, best friend to her or not." Moving past her, as she finally allowed him through, he said, "Now, if you don't mind-" He spoke the password to the portrait of the fat lady, who sniffled at the tragic scene she'd just witnessed while flipping open to reveal the common room.

"Remus!" Anna called out one last time. In a desperate attempt to get the wizard to change his mind, she blurted out the first threat that came to mind. "If you don't make up to Eve and take her back… I'll find her someone new to be with."

Remus paused on the threshold between the corridor and the common room, feeling his blood race within his veins at the thought of seeing Eve in the arms of another wizard. _No_, he thought to his possessive wolf side, _She can be with whomever she wants… Someone worthy… and human._

Turning so Anna could see his exhausted and saddened profile once, he ducked behind the portrait, which slipped shut with a dramatic wail.

"Oh! I do so hate to see young love die!" The fat lady sobbed, taking out her puny hanky to her rather large nose and blowing into it louder than a trumpet.

Anna stormed off in disgust, thinking her to herself, _You and me both, lady._

**Author's Note:** _Question to the readers:_ Some readers have written in their reviews that they prefer Remus with Eve rather than Tonks. I'd just like to know why they feel that Eve is better suited to Remus than Tonks is? As always, I'd love to hear any thoughts the readers have in their **reviews!**

And now for my reply to all the reviews since chapter twenty-two. These responses are in chronological order of when the readers reviewed.

_FunkyKiwi_- I must say, I was a little worried when you didn't review for such a long time, but since you said you were on vacation, I'm glad you're back and telling me your thoughts on the fanfiction! As always, I look forward to your reviews because they're usually very long and therefore, thorough, which is a very helpful thing. I'm glad you feel the plot is suspenseful and that I'm writing Remus correctly. My inspiration just comes to me as I'm writing out each chapter. Yeah, I know a fair amount about werewolves and fantasy beings in general, so I pretty much know what I'm going to do in regard to Remus's lycanthropy. I'm glad you liked the length of my last reply to your reviews; because you write more in your reviews, I have more to respond to, which means a longer reply for you. Of course I enjoy hearing from you; you leave thorough, honest reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed the confession scene and how it was split into two chapters to show the different perspectives. And, yes, _The Phantom of the Opera_ movie is excellent (it stars Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum as the Phantom and Christine, respectively). I'm glad you liked that Eve's reaction was from her being overwhelmed by the vision, and not because of Remus's confession. Aha, yes I have plenty of things planned for these two, don't you worry! As for your question as to if Remus would want Eve back or would rather she'd be safe… you'll just have to read and see what the overall outcome will be! The idea you offered as a cure for lycanthropy is definitely an original one. As to whether Remus will ever be cured, and if he'll end up with Tonks, again, you'll just have to keep on reading! Yup, the Shrieking Shack was already built; it was just revealed last chapter that Moony escaped from it. I'm glad you found the way I wrote chapter twenty-seven tasteful. Yes, I know I only write about a select few characters and through only a few of their perspectives, but I feel that, because this fanfiction is about Remus and Eve's relationship and all the good and difficult times that come with it, that it's necessary that I'm careful how many other people and/or couples I'm writing about and writing through perspective-wise so it doesn't take away from the story. Whoever I'm writing about and through perspective-wise has to add to the story and move the plot forward, otherwise the story will just drag on instead of progress. However, I appreciate and like the ideas you presented as alternative characters I can write about. :) Ooh, I like that you said 'Christine has Raoul'; as always, you'll have to read and see! As for why Remus spoke to Eve while she was asleep… I'm leaving that up to each individual reader. All in all, it was a sad little moment between the two that sets the mood of what's going on. Oh, and I'd just like to ask why you wrote that you'd rather Remus stay with Eve instead of being with Tonks; is it that you don't like him with Tonks, or you just like him with Eve better, or…? Thanks for all your wonderful reviews; I look forward to getting more of them for each chapter!

_TheSilverdarkKnight-_ Yay, you're back! Yup, Remus finally gets Eve to pose for him so he can draw her. And, yes, Remus finally tells her his secret. Since you were _so_ eager in regards to Remus's confession to Eve that he was a werewolf, I'd _love_ to hear your thoughts on the chapters that it took place in in some reviews! I'm glad you liked chapter twenty-eight, and that you feel Remus was written just right. I'm happy to read that you like the references to _The Phantom of the Opera_! As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts through reviews in each chapter!

_DragonDi-_ Wow, what a kind review! I'm glad you've enjoyed the fanfiction so much! I'm happy to hear that you feel the canon characters are in character, and that you like my original characters. I'm flattered that you called this fanfiction 'beautiful' and 'well-written'! I'd love to hear more of your thoughts about each chapter through reviews!

_The Silver Huntress_- I'm glad you're so supportive of Remus and Eve being together! I'm happy to read that you like the twists in this fanfiction. Please keep reading and reviewing!

_Totally CRAZY and Hyper-_ I'm glad to hear that you try to 'savor' each chapter of this fanfiction! I'm glad you 'love how I write' with 'lots of detail'. I'm glad you're hoping that Remus and Eve will get back together. I'm happy that you liked Eve's perspective on the confession scene. Thanks for the concern, but, nope, Eve didn't lose enough blood to die; Madam Pomfrey saw to that by wrapping Eve's wounds in gauze and stopping the bleeding. I look forward to hearing your thoughts through reviews for each chapter in the future!

_screamxheart- _I'm glad you wanted Remus to tell Eve about his being a werewolf, and that you hope they're an official couple soon. I'm happy that you're so supportive of their relationship. I look forward to hearing your thoughts through reviews for each chapter in the future!

Beautiful Bluebird- I haven't heard from you in a while; I hope you're still reading this fanfiction! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the latest chapters! I'm glad you liked the date Remus and Eve went on and how gentlemanly Remus acted toward her, especially when he asked to kiss her. I'm thrilled that you find that there's a chemistry between Eve and Remus that there sometimes isn't between Remus and other original characters. Yes, Anna is definitely a great friend to Eve; she makes mistakes every once in a while, but she's a great friend, nonetheless. Eve is definitely comfortable confiding her fears to Remus, as we see when she admits that she doesn't like public speaking. I'm glad you enjoyed reading about their project! Well, I'm happy you were so eager to read the reveal of Remus's secret to Eve! Yes, better late than never to review, definitely! And, yay, I'd love to hear your thoughts on each and every chapter; your reviews are a bit on the long side (which I like very much!), which means that they're thorough and, in turn, are helpful to me as the writer of this fanfiction. I'm glad you liked how Remus was teaching Eve how to draw, and that you also liked the 'non-cliché terms of affection', as you put it, he used with her. I will try to continue to write those into the story, since reviewers have expressed a like to them. I'm glad you liked their little snog and how it was written, and the fact that you felt bad for Eve when she was rejected tells me I'm doing a good job at writing up her character so that she's relatable. I'm happy to read that you liked the confessional scene, as well as the part where Remus asked for one last kiss. I like that you enjoyed the twist when you read about Eve's perspective to the confession. I'm also happy that you liked the Marauders' reaction to Eve after she was told what Remus was, and that you felt I kept them all in character. Yes, I know it's sad that Remus is trying to stay single so he doesn't hurt anyone. I'm so happy to hear that you feel Eve is original; that says to me that I'm writing her properly. Once again, I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the latest chapters and this chapter, as well as each future chapter, through reviews!MoonNightLover- I haven't gotten a review from you in a while; I hope you're still reading! I'm glad you're so supportive of Remus and Eve getting back together. I'm happy you're so worried for Eve, since it means I'm writing her in a manner that's relatable to the readers. I'd love to hear your thoughts for each future chapter through reviews!BlaireVolturi- I haven't gotten a review from you in a while; I hope you're still reading this fanfiction and will review each of the latest chapters soon! I'm glad to read you were so eager for Remus to tell Eve about his lycanthropy. Aha, I'm happy that you liked their kiss, especially since Remus wanted one so badly. Yay, I'm happy you wrote that this was your favorite fanfiction in your review for chapter twenty-two; may I ask if it still is? I'm glad you liked the next chapter, which explained Eve's perspective on the confession. I'm happy to read that you want them to get back together. Aw, thanks so much for writing that you feel this fanfiction contains the most unique confession reveal. I'm not sure if there's an award for that, but it'd be cool if there were. Yes, even I'm looking forward to getting them back together! Yeah, Sirius is definitely loyal to his friends! Wow, I'm glad you liked the last few lines of chapter twenty-six so much, and I'm honored that you compared them to the Harry Potter books. I'm so happy you 'love this story'! As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts through reviews in each future chapter!

_Captain Saru-_ I haven't gotten a review from you in a while; I hope you're still reading this fanfiction! I'm glad that you find Eve and Remus's snog similar to your first kiss, as that means that it was written in a believable manner. I'm happy you liked the last line so much of the confession chapter. I'm so happy you liked the spin I put on the confession chapter by writing in Eve's perspective, especially since you know how much I value your honest 

opinion. Yay! I'm glad you like how I tie _The Phantom of the Opera_ into the fanfiction. I'm so happy you liked chapter twenty-six, and that you actually shivered reading it; that tells me I'm writing properly. I look forward to reading your reviews for each future chapter!

_solitaireclay07-_ I'm glad you enjoyed the _The Phantom of the Opera_ references made in some of the chapters! I'm also happy to read that you're enjoying the fanfiction and my writing style! I look forward to reading your future reviews!

_MilitaryMarauder-_ I'm glad you enjoyed the confession chapters and the twist that was made for the chapter dedicated to Eve's perspective on the issue. I'm happy that you want Remus and Eve to get back together, as that means that I'm writing them and their relationship in a believable manner. I completely understand what you're getting at with the fact that Remus is only dangerous for one night of the lunar cycle, and Eve will soon realize that and point it out to Remus. I look forward to reading your reviews for each future chapter!

_UnGiornoPerNoi-_ I'm glad you feel that the confession chapters were so believable and, as you put it, 'more real than a lot of other Remus/OC' fanfictions. I look forward to reading your future reviews!

_rawr- _In the 'previous chapter' you mentioned, Eve found out that Remus _had_ a secret, but she didn't know _what_ that secret was, so that's why she was so surprised when she found out that he was a werewolf, seeing as it was a bigger secret than she thought it was going to be. I hope that cleared things up! :) I look forward to reading your future reviews!

_PonyVamps-_ I'm so happy to read that you 'love this story'! I'm flattered that you find me 'simply amazing' and that you believe this fanfiction to be 'addicting' and 'so perfect'! I'm glad to read that you try to 'savor' the fanfiction. I'm happy that you think this fanfiction is better than others you've read. I look forward to reading your future reviews!

_Psycho8_- I'm happy that you liked the twist added in with the chapter that had Eve's perspective on the confession. Eve is merely a beginner in divinations (mainly tarot cards) and, because of that, she is a bit more sensitive to psychic tendencies, such as visions. So, no, she isn't a seer, but she's a beginner in divinations. Yes, the Marauders always stand up for one another. I look forward to reading your future reviews!

_Notes-and-Photographs- _I haven't gotten a review from you in a while; I sure hope you're still reading this fanfiction! I'm happy that you liked the twist presented in the confession scene with Eve's perspective. I especially appreciate your reviews because they're long and, therefore, thorough, which really helps me as a writer. As always, I look forward to getting reviews from you for each future chapter!

_Caity-_ I'm glad you liked the chapter that was based on Eve's perspective for Remus's confession, and that it wasn't 'confusing', like you claimed other fanfictions that did viewpoint switches were. I'm flattered to read that you think I write 'really well'! I'm glad that you say you're kept in suspense with the plot of the fanfiction. I look forward to reading your future reviews!

_Aljinon_- I haven't gotten a review from you in a while; I hope you're still reading this fanfiction! I'm glad you liked the twist on the confession chapter that was presented through Eve's perspective. Yes, while Sirius was a bit harsh on Eve, it just shows that he's very loyal to the Marauders. Aha, I enjoyed the line you wrote: '… they HAVE to get back together and make babies! It's destiny.' You'll just have to keep on reading to see if that all happens at some point in time or other! I'm so happy you want Remus and Eve to get back together. I enjoy your reviews because they're usually pretty thorough, which helps me as a writer. I hope to get more reviews from you on the latest chapters and for each chapter in the future!

_FanOfEveryong100-_ I'm glad you're happy that this fanfiction is going to last until graduation for Remus and Eve, and that a sequel is planned starting after their graduation. Yes, this fanfiction and its sequel are a bit AU. What would you like to see made AU in the fanfiction? It was James in his animagus form who hurt Eve, but only so he 

could save her, since it was the only way to get her away from the werewolf in time. I look forward to reading your reviews to future chapters!

_Kalaia_- I'm happy you want Remus and Eve to get back together! I look forward to your reviews for future chapters!

_Hopeful Intentions-_ I'm flattered to read that you 'absolutely love this story', and that you believe that I'm a 'brilliant writer'! I'm glad you're enjoying the plot so far! I'm happy that you like how this story has _The Phantom of the Opera_ references. I look forward to your reviews for future chapters!

_meee- _I'm glad to read that 'this is one of you favorite stories' and that you want Remus and Eve to get back together soon. I look forward to your reviews for future chapters!

_lyssa-_ I'm flattered that you spent so much time reading the entire fanfiction and that you say you love it! I'm glad you want Remus and Eve to get back together! I hope to read more reviews from you in future chapters!

_Madelasha-_ I'm glad you wrote that you love the fanfiction so far and that you want Remus and Eve to get back together. I hope to read more reviews from you in future chapters!

_Erorfinne-_ I'm glad you liked that Eve had a vision. I hope to read more reviews from you in future chapters!

_Fallenpetals-_ I'm glad you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! Please keep reading and reviewing!

_wolfygirl58- _I'm glad you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! Please keep reading and reviewing!

_Three Faces of Eve-_ The reasons I wrote a pre-existing relationship for Remus and Eve is to contrast the relationship they had before he was bitten to the relationship they're trying to have after he was bitten. I hope you've enjoyed all twenty-two chapters past chapter seven, and I hope to read more reviews from you in the future!

_mas_- I'm glad you liked the fact that Eve wasn't bitten. I look forward to reading your future reviews!

_SilverrAngell-_ I'm happy that you liked the twist in the chapter. Sirius changed back into his human form to carry Eve back inside because, if he tried to carry her on his back in his animagus form, he would've risked her sliding off and getting hurt even more. That, and she wouldn't have understood what was going on and would've panicked if an animal randomly approached her and tried to carry her on its back. Remus rejected her because, in his mind, that's how she'll stay safe. In the sixth _Harry _Potter book when Remus was forced to reject Tonks, he was a little sappy with her because he didn't find himself good enough to be with her, so I find that it's canon for him to get a little sappy when it comes to relationships. I hope you continue reading and reviewing! :)

_Frankiesmypansy-_ Your super-long review made my day! It's the longest I've ever gotten, and I definitely hope to get more of them because long reviews are generally more thorough in regards to what a reader thinks about the fanfiction, which always helps out the writer. I applaud you! :) I'm especially honored because you said you don't normally leave reviews, but you did for this fanfiction. I'm flattered that you enjoyed this fanfiction enough to read it for hours and miss dinner. I'm so happy that you believe the way Remus is written in this fanfiction is in character! I understand the winking thing you pointed out and would like to say that, although I cannot see him winking as an adult, I _can_ see him winking every once in a while in a playful, teasing, or flirtatious manner as a student at Hogwarts, and here's why: he was happy and with his friends. I just wanted to explain that so it didn't seem too odd to you that he was winking in this fanfiction. :) I'm so happy that you like Eve so much and that you feel that she's compatible with Remus. I'm glad you like that they were friends prior to his being bitten, and that it was a 'good choice' to add into the plot. I'm happy that you like the length and depth to each of the chapters, and that they're good enough for whatever the wait for them is. I'm also glad to read that you're satisfied with the pace the fanfiction and Remus and Eve's relationship is moving at, and that it isn't, in your words, 'too fast or too slow'. That you find the project identifiable is great, because that means I wrote it out properly. I'm flattered that you feel that I 'really have a talent', and that this fanfiction has 'really made your evening', and that you 'can't wait to read more'. I'd _love_ to read what else you wrote you could write but were too tired to in your last review, so please write it in your next review (which will hopefully be for this chapter)! Also, I'd just like to ask why you prefer Remus to have a relationship with Eve than with Tonks? Thank you once again for your thorough, honest, and long review; I look forward to reading such reviews from you for each chapter in the future! :)

_mika- _I'm glad you want Remus and Eve to get back together! Please keep reading and reviewing!


	30. Raoul Returns to Hogwarts

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this fanfiction, as they really help me better my writing. Keep the reviews coming!

There are over sixteen thousand hits to this fanfiction. Thanks, everyone!

I'm not sure I'll be able to post the next chapter this Sunday, August 24, so please check back Sunday, August 31 for the update. Sorry for the delay.

A part of this chapter was inspired by someone I'm close to. Thanks a bunch!

**Publish Date:** Thursday, August 21, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Thirty: Raoul Returns to Hogwarts

_To All Students of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,_

_Because of the positive response to hosting last year's Triwizard Tournament, I have taken the liberty of planning another Yule Ball at Hogwarts on Christmas Eve and inviting our good friends from the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang._

_Please prepare to welcome our fellow sorcerers back to Hogwarts today, as they will be arriving at midday in the Great Hall._

_I hope all friendships will be rekindled in the weeks preceding the Yule Ball to make it an enjoyable event._

_A happy holiday season to all!_

_Headmaster of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,_

Professor Albus Dumbledore

Upon reading the announcement posted on the wall, witches swooned at the prospect of being escorted to the ball by Durmstrang wizards, and wizards jeered and elbowed each other in jest over the Beauxbatons witches.

For once, Anna didn't squeal over the Durmstrangs; instead, she felt an idea blossom in her mind a split second before she made a mad dash through the corridors, tearing by every corner so quickly that she even knocked down a first year on accident.

When she finally reached the Great Hall, she searched for the curly, chocolate-brown hair of her best friend before spotting her and plunking down on the portion of bench beside her.

_Wow, Eve looks even better than she did earlier this morning! Madam Pomfrey must've given her some extra potions before she left._ Anna thought to herself before she squealed, "Ooh, guess what, Eve?" She bounced in her seat excitedly.

Wiping her mouth of with a napkin, Eve found Anna's energy contagious, and she found herself asking excitedly through a grin, "What? What is it?"

"The delicious Durmstrangs are returning to Hogwarts! Dumbledore's throwing a Yule Ball again this year!" Anna exclaimed using the nickname for the wizards that she'd created the previous year when the Triwizard Tournament had been hosted at Hogwarts.

"Oh, Anna, you're teasing me! Why, they were just here last year-"

"I know, Eve, but Dumbledore invited them back- along with the Beauxbatons witches-" Anna rolled her eyes as she remembered how the Hogwarts wizards had practically salivated over that stupid little walk of theirs, "and they're due to arrive right about-"

Professor Dumbledore leaned over his seat at the table toward the front of the Great Hall as Professor McGonagall tapped him on the shoulder and whispered something into his ear.

Nodding, he murmured back to her pleasantly, "Yes, yes, I see." Turning around to see that the clock was just about to strike noon, he smiled in amusement and added, "Precisely on time, as always."

Dumbledore pushed his chair back and rose up to stand behind his podium. Spreading his arms wide, he declared, "Your attention for a moment, please. I've just received word that our guests have arrived. Please welcome first, the witches of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic."

The large, bulky doors of the Great Hall parted to reveal the petite forms of the mass of Beauxbatons witches as they strutted a few paces as one, halted, and sighed, extending their hands in a soft, feminine gesture. Then, they repeated their actions, only this time, Anna and Eve noticed that a blonde and a ginger-haired witch reached their hands toward Sirius and James, lightly holding their chins.

Eve caught Anna by the collar of her uniform when she heard a low, angry sound emanate from the back of her throat, and said, "Easy, Anna, easy."

Sirius smirked and winked at the blonde, who grinned in return. James, who'd locked his arms around Lily the minute he'd heard Dumbledore's announcement and had been repeating the mantra, _I'm a taken wizard, I'm a taken wizard,_ inside his head, suddenly went slack-jawed at the red-haired Beauxbatons witch before him, as he had a weakness for girls with ginger hair.

Both wizards simultaneously turned and watched the girls saunter off, their powder blue skirts dancing around their porcelain pale legs.

Lily harrumphed then, and scooted away from James, who tried to pull her back and apologize, but she would have none of it.

Eve tuttered her tongue once at the display and said, "Oh, no; looks like trouble's being stirred up." Furrowing her eyebrows, she pointed to Peter and nudged Anna, saying, "Well, would you look at that?"

An abnormally tall girl strutted in the back of the group of Beauxbatons, which made Eve consider the possibility that the girl might be at least part giant. When this girl sighed, she blew a kiss to Peter, whose hair blew back with her breath as if caught in a windy day. He blushed and watched the mysterious girl saunter off with the rest and sigh dreamily once more.

Remus snorted from his seat across the table from his friends and said, "Oh, Merlin; this is more entertaining than wizard chess!"

"Moony, _everything_ is more entertaining than wizard chess," Sirius muttered distractedly, as his eyes were still glued to the rear of the blonde Beauxbatons witch.

"Is… Is that girl… I mean, not to sound rude, because it doesn't really matter, but is she… sort of…" Eve gestured to the tall girl sauntering by.

"Oh, her? Yeah, I talked to her a little last year. Her name's Olympe Maxime, and, yes, to answer your question, she's 'sort of' part giant." Anna supplied for her.

Eve bobbed her head, "Ah, I figured."

Shaking her head, Anna tsked lightly, "Peter, Peter, Peter; what a player the Marauders have turned you into, hopping from Narcissa to a Beauxbatons witch like that."

Eve snickered before Professor Dumbledore raised his hands to silence the students as the witches finished their little strut down the aisle and posed at the front of the Great Hall.

"Your attention for one moment more, as we welcome to Hogwarts, Durmstrang," Dumbledore declared.

Anna turned in her seat and smirked smugly at her best friend. "See? I told you so!"

Eve gave a small grin in return. She was excited to see the Durmstrang boys, like she had been the previous year, but, because of her recent break-up with Remus, she was still hurt so that a damper was put on her joy.

_But… why _shouldn't_ I be glad that the Durmstrangs are here?_ Eve tried to think optimistically. _I-I'm a single girl, which means I'm free to look at any boy I want. Besides… what if _he_ comes back?_

The doors swung open once more to reveal the lean, muscular forms of the Durmstrang wizards, and Eve found herself gripping onto the edge of the bench as she hoped and feared at the same time that she'd see _him_ again.

The wizards marched down the aisle clicking their staffs against the floor, tossing them into their opposite hands, and twirling them though their fingers.

While Anna was giggling to herself and analyzing each boy who walked by to decide if any of them was deserving of her best friend, Eve was searching for _him_.

And then there he was: Vladimir, just as handsome as Eve remembered. His black hair was still shaved close to his head, and his deep, piercing green eyes were still set and determined, though they skipped right over Eve's thoughtful ones.

"Ooh, they're even more scrumptious than I remember!" Anna whispered with delight into Eve's ear.

Eve nodded absentmindedly, her gray eyes glued to the marching form of her former beau. The relationship had begun when he'd asked her to the previous year's Yule Ball, but they weren't official for some time as they tested the fresh waters of their young relationship. Before either of them knew it, Vladimir had to leave, and they'd both agreed that it would be best if they went their separate ways, giving that they lived in two completely separate places and attended two different schools.

After Professor Dumbledore politely kissed the hand of the Headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and hugged the Headmaster of Durmstrang, he said at last, "Welcome one and all to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

He gestured for all to converse and feast before sitting with the heads of the other magical schools and doing so himself.

"Ooh, I see a couple boys you might like," Anna giggled while pulling a distracted Eve off the bench.

Eve trotted over to the pair of Durmstrang wizards with the blonde, who smiled upon reaching them and said, "Hello, there! I'm Anna, and this is-"

Both wizards were so enthralled with the blonde sight before them, they didn't even notice Eve at all, and so spoke to Anna as if she was the only girl with them.

"Vell, hello, Anna," said the first boy, who picked up her hand and smooched the back of it. "My name is Liam."

"And _I_," the second boy interrupted abruptly, "am Drake." He pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it longer than Liam had. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Anna giggled, and Eve cleared her throat and tried to introduce herself, "I-I'm-"

"Vat year are you in, Anna?"

"Yes, vat year?" The boys asked, trying to make conversation with her.

"_My_ name is-" Eve tried again, but Anna replied to their inquiries.

"I'm in my seventh year."

And there Eve stood for a quarter hour, forgotten, ignored, and not at all acknowledged.

Eve sighed. This was not the first time this had occurred. Anna was the kind of girl who had beauty that could be sensed from across the room. Eve, on the other hand, did not. Eve thought that she, herself, had understated beauty; nothing to write home about, but nothing to spit on, either. She felt that someone had to _really_ look at her to catch the fact that she was kind of pretty, unlike Anna, who only had to be glanced at once to be considered beautiful.

"I, um…" Eve began, slinging her book bag over her shoulder. "I have… somewhere… I need to be…"

With her eyes pointed at the floor, she made a quick exit from the awkward scene in the Great Hall and walked quickly toward her next class.

_As if it isn't bad enough that Remus doesn't want to be with me anymore, now _no_ boy wants to even acknowledge my presence? _Eve thought bitterly to herself, feeling like the most ugly girl on the planet. _Merlin, I'm so bloody stupid, thinking I could get another Durmstrang to _look_ my way… Vlad must've been different, or something, because he used to tell me-_

"Oof!"

Eve had rounded the corner, still deep in thought, and collided with a very solidly built someone.

Her book bag slipped from her grasp and tumbled to the floor, vomiting up all her textbooks, parchments, quills, and inkwells.

"I'm so sorry, miss. Here, let me help," the wizard offered, already on his knees gathering Eve's belongings.

Eve dropped to the floor and assisted him. "No worries, it was completely my fault. I should've watched where… I was… going…"

She paused for a moment and stared at the oblivious Durmstrang as he arranged her possessions in her book bag before she inquired, "Vlad?"

Vladimir slowly brought his gaze up at hearing, _truly_ hearing, the familiar voice form his name. Green eyes met gray, and recognition spread across his features.

"_Eef?_" He inquired, rising to his feet to take her hands and help her up as well. She grinned; last year she'd loved how his accent affected his pronunciation of her name.

"Yeah, it's me," Eve said as she pulled a stray curl away from her face. "It's… It's so nice to see you again! How are you?"

"Vow! I-I cannot believe…" His voice faded as his eyes traveled down her face, neck, and body, lingering slightly on her curves before settling back on her face once more. With a soft smile, he admitted while setting his hands on the backs of her shoulders to pull her a bit closer to him, "You're even more beautiful than I remember, Eef."

Eve blushed lightly and dropped her eyes to the floor before replying quietly, "Thank you." _It feels good to be considered 'beautiful' enough to be acknowledged and kept company with._

Vladimir laughed good-naturedly at this and said, "And just as modest as you vere last year! How I've missed you, Eef." He leaned forward to plant a polite, tender kiss to her forehead. He pulled away and gazed happily into her eyes before a nightmarish thought flitted through his mind. "You… You haven't a new beau, have you? I do not mean to kiss you if you're already seeing someone…"

"Oh, no, I-I don't… have a new beau. Well, that is…" Eve realized she was fiddling with the long sleeves of her uniform shirt and concentrated on that to compose herself enough to keep the tears at bay while she whispered, "I mean to say… that we recently broke up."

"Oh, that must've been so hard for you!" Vladimir pulled his former girlfriend into a hug and lightly rubbed her back as he tried to get her to feel better by saying, "Vell… This vorks out vonderfully for me; I get a chance to be together vith you vonce again!"

Eve tried to muster up a smile, if only not to put him down, but found that the comment was of poor taste, and she really couldn't even pretend to be alright with it.

After a minute of silence had passed, Vladimir swallowed and, lowering his voice, told her, "That… vas rude of me to say. You just broke up vith your former beau, and I should've been more thoughtful instead of making an assumption like that. I apologize."

Eve bit on her lower lip as his heartbeat filled her ears, his heart banging on his chest like a drum against her ear as he embraced her. "I-I forgive you, Vlad. Everyone makes mistakes."

Pulling away from her just enough to stare deeply into her eyes, he said with intensity so great, Eve couldn't help but recall the day she and Vladimir had ended their relationship, "Yes, ve do."

Eve smiled brightly up at Vladimir and wrapped her arms around him to hug him in return. "I'm so happy to see you again, Vlad."

Vladimir lightly squeezed her as he hugged her again. "I'm happy to see you, too, Eef. Here, allow me to valk you to class." He picked up her book bag and slung it over his shoulder, linking arms with her as he offered, "And, along the vay, you can tell me about this idiot beau of yours who thought it vise to break up vith you."

As the pair walked away chattering, Remus remained behind the pillar, where he'd been standing for the duration of the entire encounter. Swallowing back a lump in his throat, his jaw and fists clenched against what he'd just heard.

Eve back together with her former boyfriend?

He blinked away the tears as he told himself that he did this. That he _needed_ to do this in order to protect her, and that there was nothing 'idiot', as Vladimir had so kindly put it, about watching out for her safety.

He'd released her, the Phantom had released his Christine from the prison that was the secret of his curse to save her from becoming infected by lycanthropy, as well.

Eve needed someone who was good enough for her, deserving of her. She needed someone who was human like her, someone who could be there for her and take care of her every day of the month instead of the other way around.

In the Phantom's eyes, Christine needed Raoul… but he wasn't so sure that's what _he_ needed.

**Author's Note:** _Question for the Readers_: What do you all think Remus will do with the knowledge he gained by overhearing Eve and Vladimir's conversation? What do you think will happen? I'd love to hear your answers to these questions as well as your thoughts on this chapter in your **reviews!**


	31. Eve's Decision

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to all who've continued to review; I always love to get new reviews from the readers! However, I noticed a drastic drop in the number of reviews this week; they halved from what the usual number was! I hope everyone who has been reading is still reading, and that everyone (and more) who has been reviewing will still review! I enjoy knowing what everyone's thoughts on this fanfiction are! I hope everyone continues to read and review!

This fanfiction has received over seventeen-thousand hits! Thanks everyone!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, August 31, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Thirty-One: Eve's Decision

"Ah," Vladimir chuckled as he and Eve recalled upon memories past together, such as the Yule Ball the previous year when he nearly dipped her back into a bowl of juice. "Vhat good times ve have had, yes?"

Eve giggled from beneath his muscular arm, which was draped over her shoulders. "Mm, yes, we certainly have had fun together, Vlad."

"Merlin, have ve!" Vladimir exclaimed huskily as he turned Eve around so she was facing him and he was gripping onto her shoulders. He'd been waiting for the opportune moment all day to initiate a snog with Eve, and that line of hers was the perfect chance.

With a playful arch of his eyebrow, he dove in to breathe into her ear while backing her up into a wall, "You, me, caught up in the heat of the moment in the library," his hands slid from her shoulders and slowly down her curves as he continued, "sneaking in a passionate little snog, trying to remain quiet, but unable to." Eve shivered as his hands found their way to her hips. "Understandable, of course, that you had to make that tiny, delicious sound you alvays made vhenever I-" He lowered his head and nipped lightly once on her neck.

Eve moaned breathily; she'd forgotten how much she enjoyed biting! Vladimir was the one who'd taught her how pleasurable nibbling could really be.

The Durmstrang made his way slowly up to Eve's face, preparing to start up another of the passionate snogs he was talking about. "Yes… Yes that sound… that vas the vun… Mmm…"

Eve tensed for a moment on instinct, but then she thought, _Why _shouldn't_ I have a snog with Vlad? I'm single, he's single; it's perfectly acceptable._ But just as his lips were about to mesh with hers, an image of Remus's face, contorted with betrayal and disgust flitted across her mind, and she reached up to press two fingers against his mouth to keep it from getting any closer to hers.

Vladimir blinked in surprise and Eve sighed and murmured, "And then the librarian caught us and I was never comfortable with snogging in public places again."

When she dropped her fingers from his mouth, he thought to himself, _She still has a spark of her more carefree self in her… I saw it for a moment, there._

Batting her eyelashes up at him, she silently willed her heartbeat to slow down and her breathing to level out before she said, "And… you know what my feelings are on rushing things, Vlad."

Vladimir's head slumped down onto her shoulder, where he swallowed, trying to restrain his desires as best he could. "I… I apologize," he said. "I… I was so caught up… I've missed you so much, Eef… I… obviously vouldn't mind going back to the vay things vere vhen ve vere courting."

With a light smile, Eve attempted to lighten the mood by fixing Vladimir's collar and whispering, "All in good time. I see you still have quite the enthusiasm for the art of snogging."

"Vell… you ver the vun who inspired it in me, Eef," the Durmstrang flirted with a wink while leaning down to kiss her forehead.

Eve closed her eyes at the affectionate gesture, and lightly clutched into her former beau's sleeves.

"Mm," she sighed after a minute of gazing into the wizard's eyes in silence. "I had a lovely day reminiscing with you, Vlad."

"And I you," he replied while stroking her hair back. A sly grin spread across his face as he said, "I vouldn't have minded a nice snog from you, hovever." He laughed as Eve raised an unamused eyebrow and amended, "I tease, I tease; I vill vait for you, just as I did last year, Eef. It vill be difficult to resist, seeing as you're so good at snogging, but I shall not give in."

Eve's cheeks heated up with a light blush as she smiled. He was just as sweet to her as he had been the previous year, even though he seemed overly interested in the physical portion of their relationship.

She mouthed the words, "Thank you," before slowly leaning up to plant a shy, polite smooch on his cheek. "Good night," she murmured while side-stepping toward the stairs that led to the girls' dormitory.

"Sveet dreams, my beautiful Eef," Vladimir replied as he clasped each of her hands to kiss before sending her on her way.

Eve giggled and lightly padded up the stairs, her heart aflutter and her cheeks warm. Approaching her four-poster, ready to prepare herself for a long night's rest- the first out of the Hospital Wing- she loosened her tie before a lump of gray caught her eye.

Woofie…

_You're the best little wolf pup ever!_ She recalled saying in her youth to Woofie and Mussy.

Carefully sitting down on her bed as though making a sudden movement would scare the stuffed animal off, she pulled it up and cradled it in her arms like she had once cradled affection for Remus in her heart.

_But I still do,_ Eve thought angrily at the stuffed animal. _If Remus weren't so stubborn, I could be on _his_ arm instead of Vlad's!_

_And what's so wrong with Vlad?_ Her other side challenged. _He's just as good to you as Remus was, but what's more- he's got an accent!_

_Well, aren't we superficial?_ Eve's first side argued. _Your former beau returns just when your other former dumps you and what do you do? Snuggle right back into his arms, that's what._

_Well, at least Vlad isn't a-_

"STOP IT!" Eve cried out to her dueling emotions as she clapped her hand over her ears, earning her strange looks from the other girls of the dormitory.

Breathing heavily and deeply, she made her decision as she reached over her mattress for the side table. She tugged at the drawer and plucked out her tarot cards and shuffled them.

_This is it._ She thought. _If you're ever going to work, work now. For once and for all, should I court?_

Her hands stopped shuffling, and she spread the cards out in a fan shape. Passing her hand over each of the cards in turn, she felt a tingling sensation when she was only a quarter of the way into the deck.

Drawn to that card, she pulled it up only to find a blissfully happy pair smiling up at her as they embraced: The Lovers.

_This was the card I pulled when I asked what would become of Remus and me_…

She recalled all the good times she'd had with Remus; how gentlemanly he'd always been to her, how they'd snuggle happily together, how he'd rub noses with her or wink at her or give her the softest of kisses…

A storm raged in her mind as she remembered the darkest, most terrifying night of her life- when she was attacked by that mysterious creature in the Forbidden Forest- and he wouldn't even hold her hand.

_He left me,_ she thought furiously. _He left me when I begged him to comfort me, and after all those times I'd helped care for him in the Hospital Wing…_

She hadn't been expecting anything in return for her kindness, but it would've been nice if he hadn't left her on her own after being hurt so terribly.

Turning her gray eyes to meet those of the stuffed animal, she swallowed and picked it up.

_I'm sorry, Woofie, and I'm sorry to whatever powers are out there that are using my tarot cards to try and get me back together with Remus… but _he_ left _me…_ and now it's high time that I move on._

Walking around to the foot of her bed, she opened the large wooden trunk there and locked Woofie away inside.

**Author's Note:** _Question to the readers:_ Does anyone think Vladimir and Remus will meet? What does everyone think would happen if they did? I'd love to know the answers to these questions in everyone's **reviews!**


	32. The Discovery

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone for their awesome reviews! Keep 'em coming!

This fanfiction has reached over eighteen thousand hits. Thanks, everyone!

Lastly, **Neon Thunder.** has brought something up that I'd like to address. To the newer readers (or those who started reading after several chapters were posted\), I'd like to tell you that I check for new reviews several times each day, regardless of what chapter it's for. **Neon Thunder.** was concerned that I would skip over reviews for any chapter except the most recent, but I assure everyone that this is_ not_ so. So, yes, **Neon Thunder.**, I'd like to take you up on your offer to review each chapter before the one you reviewed, if you wouldn't mind, including a review for this chapter. This invitation goes for anyone who wanted to review a chapter but didn't because they thought it would be overlooked; again, I'd like to state that I check the reviews many times a day for new reviews for _any_ chapter. I assure all my readers that I will read any review given, and will _never_ skip a single review!

**Publish Date: **Sunday, September 7, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Discovery

"I'm telling you, Sirius, this Durmstrang is back together with Eve! _My_ Eve!" Remus growled in frustration, shuffling a hand roughly through his hair. "And he just _has_ to be all perfect, too; as if having Eve isn't enough, he has to have an accent, muscles, and be human, too!" His emotions caught up with him, then, and he punched the sturdy concrete wall of the castle. A moment later, a gasp escaped from his lips, and he shook his hand out to get the circulation flowing to relieve the pain from his absentminded action.

Shaking his head, Sirius scratched at the dark waves on his head before inquiring, "Are you _certain_, mate? I mean, Eve isn't exactly-"

"I was on my way to class when I heard them talking, so I ducked behind the pillar there and eavesdropped; trust me, they're back together!" Remus said, clenching and unclenching his hand repeatedly.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Sirius cautiously pointed out, "Yeah, but… it doesn't really make sense… I mean, from what you're telling me, this Vladimir's a Durmstrang… And Durmstrangs are known around here for being above average as far as attractiveness is concerned… and… well… Not to rude, but I just don't see Eve as arm candy material for a Durmstrang. She's pretty cute, don't get me wrong, but she's not drop-dead gorgeous-"

"That girl is a bloody _knock-out!_" Remus asserted with a hiss, stopping quickly in the middle of the corridor to glare his friend down.

"Okay, okay; take it easy," Sirius replied as he continued walking, his hands hovering in the air defensively. "If you really think she's _that_ beautiful-"

"I don't 'think' it; I _know_ it! Anyone with eyes could see that!" Remus exclaimed as he strode to catch up with his fellow Marauder.

Sirius rolled his eyes discretely. _Merlin, he's head-over-heels for this one! He's even bloody hallucinating! Ah, the things young love can make one see…_

His thoughts were cut off when Remus halted and caught his friend at the chest to stop him, as well.

Remus's eyes narrowed, and he felt the ever-present wolf growl low within his subconscious as he set eye on the very subject of his most passionate hatred: Vladimir.

He was chatting very animatedly with his friends, who looked as though they were hanging onto his every word, but worse of all, who should Remus find on the Durmstrang's arm but the object of his own affections?

"Eve," he whispered to himself, watching her as she walked with Vladimir's arm around her waist, a light twinkle in her eye, and a slight blush staining her cheeks as Vladimir paused for a moment to smooch her temple.

His mind flooded with fire; who was Vladimir to tug her around, showing her off as if she were some sort of valuable possession of his, like a diamond ring or a brand new broomstick? Who was Vladimir to kiss, caress, and dote on Eve? Who was Vladimir to _dare _steal a werewolf's girl and challenge the consequences?

Vladimir and his group came to a halt before the two Marauders, and with them their delightful conversation.

Remus nearly smirked. Nearly. The oh-so famous Vlad was a good head shorter than he. His instinct to smirk was repressed, however, when he noticed that what Vladimir lacked in height he overcompensated for in muscle.

Eve's gray eyes found the brown ones of Remus and, with a tiny smile, politely greeted, "Hello, Remus. It's… nice to see you again."

Remus was relieved to find not an iota of hatred toward him, but that feeling was short-lived as he watched Vladimir tense beside her, gripping her tighter to him and inquiring through a clenched jaw, "Hmm… And this is the Reemoose I've heard about, no?"

Eve pressed her hand to her mouth and turned her head away, giggling quietly at how Vladimir's accent affected his pronunciation of Remus's name. As Remus watched her girly fit, he could've sworn that smoke was blowing from his ears.

That giggle was supposed to be reserved for _him_ whenever _he_ did something funny, like tickle her with his stubble as he leaned over to kiss her, or crack one of his infamously corny jokes, or kiss at that one tender point on her neck.

"Yes, Vlad," Eve told him after her laughter subsided, "the very same."

"And he is the oaf who dumped you, correct?"

Eve blinked at Vladimir's audacity. Talk about awkward!

"Vlad, I don't think you're being very-"

"Who the bloody hell do you think you are, calling my friend an oaf?" Sirius intervened.

Vladimir threw his head back and roared with laughter. "Oh, that's sveet! Reemoose needs to be protected!"

Vladimir's friends laughed, but Eve pulled out from beneath his arm and, setting her hands firmly on her hips, scolded, "Vladimir!"

Remus scoffed and waved Sirius off before retorting, "Don't worry 'bout it, mate; you don't have to defend me from someone who just spewed their entire vocabulary into a single sentence." He grinned broadly then as Sirius snickered.

Gaping at Remus, Eve reprimanded, "Remus!" In response, the Gryffindor wizard immediately lost the grin and shrunk back. It was amazing what power Eve, a girl who was scarcely two-thirds his height and couldn't be even half his weight, had over him. He muttered an apology and stuffed his hands into his pockets, scuffing the floor with the tip of his worn shoe.

"Ah… I see this is a battle of vit, yes?" Vladimir challenged, a furious spark in his eye as he stepped up to Remus. "Next time, come prepared. In the meantime, I suggest you stay avay from _my_ girl." On the word 'my', he yanked Eve back to his side, causing her to squeak and bump right into the Durmstrang. "That includes ven I am avay after the Yule Ball."

Arching both eyebrows and crossing her arms at this bold assumption, Eve asked in a sharp tone, "Oh? Who says I'm going to stay with you that long?"

Snorting, Remus pointed at Vladimir and declared in triumph, "Ah-ha! So she's not even planning on being with you at all!"

"I never said that, either!" Eve exclaimed, tossing a glare at Remus, who slumped and took a step back.

Vladimir took this as a sign of submission, and so walked up to Remus and said, "I don't vant you looking at her, being around her, or even _thinking_ about her!"

"Hey! I think I ought to get a say in who can be around me!" Eve asserted, her face fiery with an angry red blush.

Waving her aside, Vladimir said distractedly, "Eef, you are better seen and not heard."

Remus's and Eve's jaws dropped at the same time.

"What did you just say to me?"

"What did you just say to her? You are courting a witch with a brilliant mind and you say _that_ to her? What century are you from? You should be honored to hear her opinions, you son of a-"

"Yes, I _did_ just say that to her! She is mine, I can say to her vhat I please," Vladimir retorted.

"Vladimir, you weren't like this last year!" Eve exclaimed as she stepped between the two feuding wizards. Placing her hands to Vladimir's chest, she began gently guiding him away from Remus and saying, "Look, let's just forget that you two ever met, and-"

"No, this ends now!" Vladimir said, giving her a push aside. He only meant to move her so she wasn't a blockade for him to get to Remus, but he underestimated his strength, and she tumbled onto the floor with a shriek.

"Eve!" Remus cried out in concern. "Don't you ever touch her like that again!" He yelled at Vladimir after fisting the Durmstrang's collar into his hands. Giving him a firm shake, he released him and rushed to Eve's side, offering her a hand. "Here, let me help you."

Eve had slid her hand into Remus's, and was just being helped up when Vladimir shoved him aside, causing Eve to fall on her bum once more with an, "Oof!"

"No, no; here, allow me!" Vladimir offered his hand, but this time, Eve refused to take it. Instead she slowly got up herself, rubbing her bottom tenderly where she'd fallen twice in a row.

"I… I can't be around either of you right now. You two need to grow up, because I refuse to be in the middle of this fight." Eve's words were soft, but adamant, and neither wizard followed after her as she turned and walked down the corridor toward the library.

.x:X:x.

Eve carefully strolled along the rows of shelves heavily lined with books, passing each sign that referenced the volumes contained there with nothing more than a glance.

… _R-T... U-V… W-Z…_

Eve halted before the row marked 'W-Y'; this was her destination.

_The boys were awful back there, fighting like that… I can't find any excuse for Vlad, other than his trying to be a show-off… but…_ She ventured between the shelves, scanning the fat and slim spines of the books until she found the title, _The Encyclopedia of Werewolves_ burnt into the side of a leather book. _I pray that Remus at least had an excuse._

With a shaky hand, not knowing whether she wanted to find out if there was something supernatural driving Remus's odd behavior, she pulled the book from the shelf and, after pushing her reading glasses onto the bridge of her nose, flipped through the pages until she found a chapter entitled "Werewolves and their Mates."

Eve fluttered her eyelashes. "Mate" was a stronger word than what she would've called what they once or currently were. But this was the closest she'd come to finding the answer she was looking for.

She read: _When werewolves are enamored with or courting a member of the human or lycanthropic race, they may and usually do become possessive and protective their partner. This aggressive behavior may be contrary to their character or personality, but this is because of the inner wolf's brief resurfacing. Although the werewolf will not and cannot transform between full moons, it may press forward and sway the emotions, thoughts, and actions of the body it inhabits._

_Furthermore, the wolf's behavior may increase exponentially upon a werewolf's eighteenth year of life-_

Eve lifted her eyes from the book. So… it _wasn't_ Remus's fault he got so involved in the fight. Not completely, anyway. She had thought it odd that he'd been so aggressive where he was usually more gentlemanly and would've probably avoided escalating things to the level they'd gotten to.

_So… had I not been the central focus of the argument… he would've backed down, and it would've been completely avoided… Ugh, boys can be so stupid sometimes, fighting over a girl!_

She wasn't sure why, but at that moment, her hand felt a pull to flip the page once, then twice. The space between her eyebrows and just a little up where the third eye was said to make its home tingled as the task was completed, and she found herself staring at a page entitled, "Werewolves and Psychics."

Furrowing her eyebrows, she leaned forward and read: _It has been reported that those with psychic tendencies are more prone to accurate visions, dreams, and of the like while they're in the presence of a werewolf. Since werewolves are widely shunned in the magical world, proper testing has been impossible, and so the words of the few psychics who've had this experience have had to have been taken, though it is thought that the coming of the full moon is what tunes a psychic in to messages from his or her third eye._

_However, one anonymous psychic has reported that after becoming affectionate, passionate, or intimate with a werewolf (he did not realize at the time that the woman he was seeing wasn't, in fact, human), he had a multitude of exceptionally vivid images. Although this was a first for him that should've been celebrated, it took such a toll on his body that he was left ill for several days._

"_These images just kept hitting me one after another after another when I was… well, when I was _with_ this werewolf… and it was simply the most extraordinary thing that's ever happened to me. I'd found out later on she was a werewolf and so I dumped her, and I'd never had visions like those again," he stated._

Eve's mind raced back to the day Remus confessed to her his secret, and she recalled that she'd had two snogs with him.

_Why did I have visions with the second snog but not the first one?_ She pondered. After a moment, the answer was crystal clear: The first snog was more of an experiment to see what each other liked; where they liked to be kissed, and how they liked to be kissed. The second one was passion in its purest form; they'd been telling each other without words what they felt for one another one last time before he'd made his confession and they broke up.

Shutting the book and holding it to her chest, knowing she was going to have to check the book out and read up some more about werewolves later, Eve muttered to herself, "So _that's_ what happened that day… the union of a werewolf and one who is sensitive to psychic abilities in a way that shows true passion and affection will lead to an overload of visions."

Oddly enough, she was intrigued by this idea. It was actually pretty romantic; a werewolf and a psychic could create visions together, maybe even of their own future! It was so inspiring; she wished she could continue to explore this new world she'd discovered…

_But that wouldn't be the only reason I'd get back together with Remus_, Eve thought to herself as she relived the moment Vladimir told her to be seen and not heard and then shoved her aside. She was almost certain he hadn't meant to push her that hard, only enough to get her out of harm's way, but he had, and it had hurt her. She rubbed her backside as she recalled the memory.

"Mm, hello, my Eef," Vladimir quietly said as he walked up slowly behind her.

When he was standing directly at her back, he reached an arm around her and held out a blade of grass. She watched as it magically sprouted into a single red rose.

"Forgive me?" He breathed into her ear, pressing his lips to her neck and smooching a trail up to her earlobe. "I vas foolish and thoughtless and rude, but most importantly, I vas all those things to you, and that is never alright."

Eve remained silent for a whole minute while Vladimir continued pecking at her neck before he dared ask, "Eef?"

Crossing her arms, she clarified her silence angrily, "Well, I'm only being _obedient_, aren't I? After all, you said I was 'to be seen and not heard', remember?"

With a small chuckle, he explained, "Oh, Eef, that vas only for the argument; it vas betveen me and Reemoose, I did not vant you vorrying over something you had no control over." With a kiss to her cheek, he slid the rose into her hand.

"That fight was over me; I think I should have a say in when it ends, which was what I was trying to do, by the way: end it," Eve muttered, twirling the rose idly between her fingers.

Vladimir's smile faded. He'd really messed up this time. Well, time to pull out Plan B: Operation Irresistible Durmstrang.

Turning her around so she was facing him, he offered, "Look, I came here to ask you to the Yule Ball as an apology." Putting on his most hopeful expression, he inquired, "Vould you be so kind as to do me that honor?"

Eve glanced down at the perfect, blossoming rose spinning between her fingertips, and then gazed at the tattered book in her arms. The information inside that book had intrigued her, swayed her so that she wanted to run back to Remus and tell him everything; the misunderstanding, what really happened in the Room of Requirement, and her apology. She also wanted to free herself from the Durmstrang who apparently wanted nothing more out of a girl other than to be arm candy and obedient to him. Remus had never been like that. He'd called her beautiful before, but he'd never told her to be quiet when she wanted to voice her opinion; in fact, he'd always encouraged her to speak her mind, and had supported her endlessly throughout their unofficial relationship…

… and she'd give _anything_ in the world to have that back…

Her eyes glued to the book in her arms, she replied with a low, "Maybe… I have to think about it, first."

**Author's Note:** _Questions to the readers:_ People who review sometimes point out that the way Remus is written in this fanfiction is very in-character to how they believe he was when he was in Hogwarts as a student. I'd like to know why people think that he's written more in-character in this fanfiction than in others, as reviewers often say. What did everyone think of this chapter? What does everyone think will happen? I've left clues as to what will happen in the near and distant future of the fanfiction. I can't wait to read the answer to these questions and other thoughts the readers have through their **reviews!**


	33. Holiday Hope

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to those who continue to review to each chapter; I really, truly, and honestly appreciate it! To those who don't review, I'd like to extend an invitation to do so! Please remember that the only way I can know what a reader truly thinks about this fanfiction is if they express their thoughts to me in the form of reviews. There was another low review count this week, so I'd like to boost that number up as high as it can go!

This fanfiction has reached over nineteen thousand hits! Thanks a bunch, everyone! I hope to see twenty thousand by next week!

I'd like to clarify some confusion in a review for last chapter as to if Remus and Eve are in love. They are **not** in love; although they definitely have feelings for one another, they have plenty of things to get through in order to move forward with their relationship. When I used the term "mate" in the previous chapter for the book Eve was reading, I didn't mean that they had to be literal mates in order for Remus to be temporarily affected by his inner wolf. That word was to show that there is a difference between werewolves and humans, as where humans would say, "This is my boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife," werewolves are viewed by the magical community as less than human, and for them the term is "mate" instead of the aforementioned titles used by humans, since it's more aimed toward animals. I just wanted to clear the love issue up because, although Remus and Eve fancy each other, they don't love each other. This is important because they were only together for a short time, and it wasn't even official, and after all they've been through, to say they were in love would be rushing and pushing it.

I'd also like to bring up another point a reviewer, **FunkyKiwi**, noted, which is the issue of Eve's beauty. She is beautiful, yes, but not in an obvious way. Whereas Anna is beautiful for anyone to immediately see, Eve has a more understated beauty that makes someone have to truly look at her in order to actually see that she is attractive. As pointed out by FunkyKiwi, this is to, first of all, further assure that Eve isn't and doesn't develop into a perfect character, and second of all, this is important because Remus sees how beautiful Eve in on the inside, flaws and all, and _that_ is what is truly important to him and the story, not her physical beauty. He sees Eve as who she is physically and who she is on the inside, which is why he feels she is literally beautiful, though Sirius couldn't see it last chapter because he doesn't have the same feelings for her as Remus does, and he doesn't know her as well. Thanks for bringing that point up, FunkyKiwi!

**Publish Date: **Sunday, September 14, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Thirty-Three: Holiday Hope

Eve shut _The Encyclopedia of Werewolves_ with a sigh and a thoughtful look etched onto her features. Reclined in her four-poster, she clasped the book to her heart and turned to gaze out the window of the girls' dormitory.

_I… I can't believe I'm actually considering this._ She chuckled lightly before shaking her head and deciding, _Yes I can. I've been considering it for a while, now… I just can't believe the time is here to actually act on it._

Though she'd realized after Vladimir had shown his true colors that she'd be much happier if she were Remus's girlfriend, instead, it hadn't sunk in that she was really telling herself she wanted to be a werewolf's girlfriend.

She didn't know how to be a werewolf's girlfriend, though! She scarcely knew how to be a human's girlfriend! Even though Eve had spent the entire afternoon reading from the book she'd checked out from the library, she was certain that it only gave an objective view on werewolves, and it wasn't a personal, how-to guide on courting one.

_Perhaps I ought to write a book on the subject if I can convince Remus to give me another chance,_ Eve thought to herself with a grin.

Fiddling idly with the loose leather spine of the book, Eve nibbled on her lower lip as she recalled just how Remus and Vladimir had acted toward her in the time they'd courted.

_Brushing a stray curl of hair out of her face, Remus smiled down at her and told her, "You look beautiful, Eve." He lifted her hand to his mouth and smooched the back of it, his eyes locked on hers all the while._

"_Eef, you look lovely," Vladimir had told her once before leaning down to nip at her neck and squeeze her bum._

"_No, go on," Remus encouraged as Eve suddenly grew shy and didn't want to say what was on her mind. Seeing that she still looked nervous, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulled her close, and nuzzled his cheek into the top of her head and murmured to her, "I want to hear what you have bottled up inside that pretty little head of yours."_

"_Eef, you are better seen and not heard," Vladimir had stated to her without remorse before an audience of his friends and other students that attended Hogwarts when she had tried to speak her mind to him._

_Whenever Remus held her or touched her, he was always very considerate of where he placed his hands, and watched her for any signs of disapproval. While his hands were on her waist or back, he applied a little pressure so she'd know where they were and was assured that they weren't moving anywhere. When he stroked her hair or face or neck, he'd never used anything but a tender hand._

_However, when Vladimir held her, he was very possessive, so his grip on her was tight at all times. Vladimir never asked permission to grab her bum, though he did it anyway, and he was almost always trying to initiate a snog with her, as if just being around her or cuddling weren't enough._

When Eve looked at the differences in the boys side by side this way, she realized what a terrible mistake she'd made being with Vladimir when she should've been trying to focus on getting Remus to understand that it didn't matter that he was a werewolf, he still was human to her.

_Vladimir acted less human toward me than Remus ever did; he's more of a gentleman than Vlad can ever hope to be._

Twirling a curl around her finger for a minute, Eve slowly turned to her side table and reached out to pull at the drawer. She carefully lifted the small box within up and onto her mattress. Opening it, she unraveled the tarot cards from its raspberry colored scarf and shuffled them.

_I know I turned down the answer last time… but please tell me what to do once more. I want to be with Remus, but can a relationship between a human and a werewolf really work?_

She drew in a deep breath and flipped the top card over, and The Lovers greeted her with an affectionate smile as they held their partner forever in their embrace.

Eve felt her heart leap, overjoyed that she and Remus were meant to court in their lives. But a twinge of fear muffled her happiness, as she wasn't sure what a relationship with a werewolf would bring to her life and reputation…

_Hmm… an unhappy relationship with a human or a happy one with a werewolf? When you look at it that way, it's not a very difficult choice to make_.

Swallowing back her insecurities that kept her off the track that led to her destiny, she slid off the bed and meandered over to the trunk at the foot of her bed.

After only a moment's hesitation, she lifted up the heavy top and found Woofie gazing up at her, as if knowing the conclusion she'd just come to.

Pulling the little stuffed animal into her arms, an idea prickled in the back of her mind. She smiled brightly at herself and whispered to the stuffed animal, "I have hope yet, Woofie. 'Tis the season, after all."

.x:X:x.

Professor McGonagall clapped her hands together once and announced to the Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons students, "Thank you all for coming! Now, as I'm sure you all remember from last year, this meeting is to ensure that everyone knows how to waltz so there's no embarrassment at the Yule Ball. Mr. Pettigrew, if you would be so kind as to assist me in demonstrating to your peers how the waltz is properly executed?"

Peter squirmed in his seat and blushed as Professor McGonagall spread her arms in the air, waiting for him to set them down onto his shoulder and hand. She arched a commanding eyebrow at him, and he finally stood up, Sirius, James, and even Remus snickering at him as he shuffled his way over to the witch.

He didn't want to dance with McGonagall. Not only was it disturbing to him, but he'd been working up the nerve the entire time he'd been sitting there to walk over to that gorgeous, tall Beauxbatons witch (whose name, he'd discovered, was Olympe Maxime) and ask her to dance with him. If their waltz went smoothly enough, he planned on asking to be her escort to the Yule Ball.

"Now, then," Professor McGonagall declared when she'd dropped her hands onto him. "The waltz is very simple. The female puts her hands on the male's shoulder and hand, like this." She nodded to the positions of her own hands before picking up Peter's and placing them on the spots she spoke of next. "And the male places his hands in the female's hand and at a respectable level on her waist."

Peter went red as Sirius shouted out, "Yeah, no wandering hands, Pete!"

Professor McGonagall shot the Marauders a stern look as they all broke into laughter. Clearing her throat, she continued, "And the waltz goes a little something like this. One, two, three. One two three. And twirl." Peter stumbled as she counted, and twirled the witch beneath his arm once before staggering again as she counted. "One, two, three. One, two, three. Very smoothly, now. And twirl." He repeated the process as his magical peers snorted quietly to themselves at Peter's dancing, which was shaky and not up to par.

Peter watched as Olympe fluttered her eyelashes and bowed heads with the girls on either side of her to giggle quietly into their hands.

"Alright, everyone, find a partner to waltz with," Professor McGonagall announced.

Peter excused himself from the professor and hurried over to Olympe, intent on disallowing such a beautiful, large, and, most importantly, _French_ girl to dance with another wizard.

His palms were sweaty, and his face was bright red by the time he reached the Beauxbatons witch, who gazed down (yes, even when she was seated, she was still taller than him) at him in amusement and waited for him to pop the question.

Swallowing hard, he blurted out, "Olympe, will you dance with me?"

Laughing delightedly, she rose up from her seat and offered him her hand. Her red, red lips formed the words, "You are so cute! And I simply _adore_ ze chubby vuns! Vhat eez your name?"

"Peter," he replied, taking her hand happily and practically skipping out onto the dance floor among the other dancing couples with newfound confidence.

Giggling as Peter and she assumed the waltzing position, Olympe said as they began to dance, "Vell, Peter, eet eez my pleasure to meet you!"

Peter couldn't help but notice that he was chest height on her before replying, "Oh, believe me, Olympe, the pleasure's all mine!"

He watched as Sirius recruited the blonde Beauxbatons witch to dance with, leaving a fuming Anna sulking in her seat, and as James asked for Lily's permission to dance.

_It's a good thing he made up to Lily straight away after that incident with the ginger-haired Beauxbatons witch, otherwise, she'd still be furious with him! Oi, what's this?_

He watched as Vladimir, the wizard Remus had been fuming about to the Marauders, strode up to Eve and offered her his arm. The werewolf's eye roll at the scene didn't go unnoticed by Peter, nor did his furious exit out the hall.

Peter went up onto his tiptoes and even jumped up in order to twirl Olympe under his arm, finding that he was becoming more and more confident with every step he took and every delighted giggle he coaxed from those full lips of hers. As he spun her about the room, he got a better view of Eve and saw that she'd watched Remus leave, said something to Vladimir while shaking her head, and then quickly scurried off after him, leaving the Durmstrang slack jawed in shock.

Peter smiled, happy for his friend, as it looked like he might just get his girl back. He also smiled for himself, as he watched without a twinge of envy as Narcissa swirled along the floor with Lucius, her beau.

Resting his head happily on Olympe's collarbone, he gazed up at her and asked dreamily, "Olympe, do you have an escort to the ball?"

.x:X:x.

Eve hurried to catch up with Remus's long stride. Generally, she liked the fact that Remus was so tall; it made her feel safe and protected whenever he'd held her, she _loved_ how it made her stand on her tiptoes just to give him a kiss, and she could nuzzle very easily into his strong chest.

But it was always troublesome trying to catch up with him, seeing as his legs were so long and hers so short. On this occasion, he didn't hear her following after him, and he stopped by the open door of the main entrance of the school. She slowed her trot to a walk and heard him sniffle and grumble something to himself about how "that bloody stupid Durmstrang just has to be human and perfect."

Eve shook her head, now knowing what his departure was all about; he was jealous of Vladimir.

_Believe me, Remus, he has more reason to be envious of you than you of him!_

Standing just behind her former beau, close enough to smell the subtle aroma of his cologne, she reached out and touched his shoulder, inquiring gently, "Remus?"

He jumped and tensed. Usually he could hear when he was being followed, as his heightened senses allowed him to.

_Perhaps I'm just distracted_, he thought to himself as he turned slowly to face the owner of the voice.

Eve smiled shyly up at the wizard, and they stayed that way for a few silent moments before he asked, "What are you doing here? Why aren't you in there dancing with _Vladimir_?"

With a half shrug, Eve replied simply, "I don't want to dance with Vlad. I want to talk with you."

Remus's eyebrows furrowed in confusion for a moment before Eve took him by the arm and suggested, "Here, can we speak outside? I don't like the thought that someone could walk into our conversation at any moment in here."

Remus followed Eve out into the cold night. The breeze blowing lightly only decreased the temperature further, and the caring young wizard found himself concerned that the girl who still carried his affections was going to compromise her health.

"Here, Eve," he murmured after they'd walked down to the lake together. Shrugging off the robe of his uniform, he held it up and arched an eyebrow, silently asking for permission while he simultaneously offered aloud, "You'll catch your death out here." He wasn't sure if she would accept something given to her by a werewolf, so he merely held it out for her until she nodded her approval, when he draped it carefully around her shoulders.

"You still care for me," Eve whispered in return as she pushed her arms through the sleeves of his robe. It wasn't a question; she'd stated it as if it were a fact.

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants, Remus looked to the ground and scuffed at a clump of dirt. "As if it's any surprise. Yeah, Eve, I still care for you."

"And you know_ I_ still care for _you_," Eve continued, taking a step to close the gap between them. Remus saw hope shine in her gray eyes in the light of the waxing moon before she said, "Then, since we both still care for each other, we should be together again."

"Eve, you know it's not that easy," Remus firmly stated, this time in a louder volume. Turning away from her, he crossed his arms and said, "I'm… I'm a danger to you… I'm a risk… You were hurt last time, and that could've been… could've been…"

"It could've been you," Eve finished for him knowingly. Stepping up to his back, she leaned her cheek to his shoulder blade and, gazing out to the rippling lake, dancing in the moonbeams, she whispered, "But it wasn't. Besides, it was my own stupidity that led me from the castle that night; I should've just waited for morning to come to tell you that I wanted to be with you again. If I had stayed in the girls' dormitory, like I promise I will whenever you've transformed in the future, I know I would've been safe."

Remus shifted where he stood, not wanting to say anything that might betray the war of emotions battling within him. On the one hand, he wanted to protect Eve more than anything from the monster within him. On the other, he knew the monster could be quelled if she were with him once more. He didn't get as ill around the full moon when she was his girl, and he didn't stay injured for as long after, either. Oh, the irony of the situation…

"Speaking of what happened that terrible night," she continued, drawing away from him and pausing so long that Remus had to turn around in order for her to continue, "we _really_ need to talk about why you left me." Crossing her arms over her chest, she hissed at him, "You left me! You left me bleeding and injured when I begged for you to just… just comfort me… just hold my hand. When did I ever leave you, huh? I don't mean to imply that when I help you to heal that I expect anything in return, but just a spot of comfort would've pushed back my fears, Remus. I…" She swallowed back a lump in her throat, "I was terrified! I'd never been hurt so badly in my life before, never!"

Remus's chin wobbled. Was it possible that he'd hurt her more than James had when he threw her in animagus form?

"I'm sorry, Eve." He reached out to gently touch her shoulders, but he flinched when the thought crossed his mind that no girl like Eve would ever want a thing like him touching her, and instead, with his hands out palm up in a gesture of helplessness, he confessed, "I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want to lead you to think that we might have a future together if I helped you. I… I _needed_ to hurt you to keep you away… to keep you _safe_."

"Remus, I'm a witch, I can keep myself safe; but I can't help but be scared when something like that happened to me. _That's_ when I need help," she told him, and the pitiful look she gave him nearly sent him over the edge.

"Oh, Merlin, I… I'm so sorry, Eve." The tears that stung his eyes welled up in his lower lid, and he choked back a sob at the weighty load of emotional pain he must've put her through. His arms ached to hug her, to let her know that, in hurting her, he hurt himself, as well, but he kept his hands to himself, positive he'd be rejected.

"Oh, Remus," Eve whimpered, rising up onto the tips of her toes to embrace him. "I… I have something else I need to tell you… The day you told me about… your secret… I didn't mean to run away from you. I was shocked, sure, but… I'd had a massive vision, and, since I'm a beginner at this psychic stuff, I get sick very easily when I receive visions. So, it was either run off or," she chuckled mirthlessly, "vomit on you. Please forgive me, Remus. I… I looked up werewolves in the library to learn more about you, and a book there said that being affectionate with a werewolf can make someone who's sensitive to psychic vibes have the most accurate, clear, and long visions possible. That's what must've happened that day, Remus; that's why I got sick and ran out, not because I was afraid of you."

Remus only barely caught everything Eve said to him; she was hugging him! She, his former girl, the girl he fancied, and the girl who knew exactly what he was was hugging him! His watery eyes wide and his mouth forming an 'O' around the shaky breath that quickly sped in and out of his mouth, he lifted his quivering hands up from his sides and slowly brought them up and around her to rest carefully on her back, as if he wasn't quite sure she was real.

"Yes, hold me, Remus!" Eve breathed into his ear. "I've missed this so much; missed _you_ so much! This whole thing…" Her voice broke as she cried, "has been a misunderstanding… we've lost so much time with each other…"

Remus, swallowing in hopes of finding his voice as his arms gripped Eve firmly to him for the first time in weeks, "I… I can't promise you anything… in terms of a relationship…"

"That's the beauty of all this, Remus," Eve whispered, pulling back enough so her tear-laden eyes gazed into his. "I had an idea earlier on that we'd give a relationship- an _official_ relationship- a trial run. You, me, boyfriend and girlfriend, _officially_ for, say, one week starting tomorrow on Christmas Eve? This way, there's no chance of harm if you really want to end it, since the full moon is on New Year's Eve, which would be the last night of the one-week trial. But, if it works out…" She smiled radiantly at the thought, and Remus would've told her that it would work out just to keep that smile fixed there had he not also been thinking at the moment of his other half that would make it impossible for them to be together. "If it does work out, then… then we can be together for as long as we want. See? No harm, but all the advantages of really being together."

Remus looked a little wary of the risks he still considered to be involved, and Eve pleaded, "Please, Remus, you've got nothing to lose. Besides, it's the holiday season, a season of miracles! Who knows what could happen?"

Eve's face was so full of hope, he knew she'd been looking forward to presenting this offer to him.

He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut in thought. _What Eve says is true; the full moon isn't until the last night of the trial run of the relationship, and that's the only issue that's keeping me from being with her. So, since that risk is out of the way…_

"Yes," he responded with tentative joy. Her eyes caught a smile that spread to her lips as he continued, "I'd _love_ to be your official boyfriend."

She squeezed him tightly in her embrace then, and didn't release him until she found snow trickling down from the sky.

"Remus," Eve breathed in sheer delight as she gazed up into the night, white flakes rapidly coating her eyelashes and hair. "It's snowing!" She laughed, and Remus took such pleasure in that sound that he caught Eve by the waist and spun her around until she was giggling cheerfully.

When he finally set her back down, she took his face into her hands and breathed, her voice clouding the air between them, "Oh, Remus, this is a good omen, I can feel it." Giggling at him as he grinned widely, her nose crinkled up, bringing him to nuzzle his lips to the fold; nuzzle, but not kiss.

Eve's fingertips clutching at his chin affectionately, she told him playfully, "Oh, you'll have to teach me the proper way to court a werewolf; I'm afraid I don't have any experience in that department!"

Rubbing his pink, cold nose to hers, he took her small hand in his and intertwined fingers with her.

"That's something we'll both have to figure out together."

**Author's Note:** _Questions to the readers:_ How did everyone like this chapter? Some reviewers said that they were waiting for Eve and Remus's talk, and here it is! Did it turn out like everyone thought/hoped it would? Though I already have their week planned out, I'm curious to read in reviews what everyone thinks/hopes they'll do during their week as an official couple? I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts in this week's **reviews!**


	34. Trial Week: Day One: Part One

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to all who review; the reviews really help keep me motivated to continue writing this fanfiction, especially during such busy times in my life such as the one I'm going through right now! I wasn't sure I was going to be able to update this week (even when I couldn't and didn't last week), but I found some spare time, and I jumped on it to write this for those who always take the few moments out of their day to review. This chapter's for you!

Oh, and **Neon Thunder.**, please do continue to review each chapter; believe me, it's not spam! The reviews are very helpful! Thanks a bunch for reviewing each chapter, **Neon Thunder.**!

There are over twenty-one thousand hits to this fanfiction! Thanks a lot, everyone!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, September 28, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Thirty-Four: Trial Week: Day One: Part One

Remus slowly descended the stairs, his heart light with the thought that he was currently living out his first day with Eve as her official boyfriend. The knowledge that the witch he'd fallen for was unavailable to the rest of the male world put a grin atypical of the usually sleepy expressions lazing about on his face.

The idea that he also only had one guaranteed week with her dropped on him like a downpour of rain. He'd have to make his final decision at the end of that week, and he felt anxiety getting the better of him when he realized that, for Eve's safety, he couldn't allow that decision to lead to his happiness.

_Now, now, you can think plenty about that later. For once in your life, Remus, think in the moment; think in the now. _

This thought was dissipated when he stepped onto the landing and found Eve sitting by the hearth of the fireplace, her hands held up to the warm glow of the barely blinking embers. An afghan was pulled tight around her shoulders and small body, and Remus felt the distinct urge to cross the room to her and hold her in his arms until she was toasty once more.

"This seat taken?" Remus flirtatiously teased as he sat beside her on the hearth. Shifting his eyes to pointedly look down at the space he was occupying, he said, "Well, it is, now!"

Eve turned and giggled at the joke. Reaching out her arms, she enveloped Remus in her afghan and embrace and snuggled lightly into his chest. "Mm, I've missed you, Remus; I've missed your silly jokes."

Remus smiled down at the top of the witch's curly mane, but didn't return the hug until she turned her gaze up to him and inquired innocently, hopefully, "Won't you hold me, Remus?"

He immediately responded, wrapping his arms around her waist and interlocking them at her back.

Nuzzling his cheek cautiously to the top of her head, Remus whispered to her, "I'm sorry, Eve. Make no mistake, I've wanted to hold you like this for weeks, but…" His grip on her tightened and, after drawing in a long breath and swallowing hard, he breathed, "… I can't help but feel like I don't deserve… don't deserve to touch you or hold you…"

Eve turned her face up to meet his gaze from her place at his chest as she finished his open-ended statement, "Because of what you are."

Remus swallowed again, though remained silent as he nodded. She was completely right; he'd always been ashamed of taking advantage of her ignorance of his secret, but, once he'd confessed it to her, his shame melted into self-consciousness.

Pulling the fringed edges of the afghan closer to her, Eve leaned back on her knees and, holding out her hand to him, said with a small smile, "Follow me."

Remus grabbed hold of her hand and allowed her to help him up and lead him through the portrait hole, down a few corridors, and then make a few circles in the labyrinth of hallways that made up Hogwarts.

After about their third turn-around, Remus asked Eve with a chuckle, "Eve, you're a seventh year. How could you possibly _not_ know where you're going by now?"

Sticking out her tongue playfully, she tapped her chin with her forefinger and muttered to him, her gaze sliding along the wall in front of her, "Well… I'm _trying_ to find the Room of Requirement, but you had to go and make it look so bloody easy the last time we went there."

Remus felt his heartbeat quicken; the last time they'd been in that room together, he'd admitted his lycanthropy to her. Excruciating feelings on what had occurred that time plagued his thoughts, and he asked nervously, "Why do you want to find the Room of Requirement?"

Turning to face Remus, Eve took each of his hands into her own, and, giving them a reassuring squeeze, told him honestly and gently, "There's a conversation I'd like to have with you, but I want to be certain it's private. It's nothing bad, I promise. Actually, it's something I'm hoping you can help me to better grasp and understand. Is that alright with you?"

Oh, she wanted help with something? It must just be embarrassing to her, then. Remus certainly couldn't object to helping his- _official-_ girlfriend out when she needed him!

With a smile, Remus told her while tenderly pulling a stray curl from her face, "Of course. Oh, and by the way, the Room of Requirement has been right in front of you this whole time."

Eve gaped at him and playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "Ah! How rude, making me walk around for so long, and then stand here staring at it without letting me know!"

Giving a final teasing harrumph, she moved away from the wizard to walk back and forth by the entrance of the Room of Requirement three times, focusing on the sort of room she needed for the two of them.

The doors began etching themselves into the wall, drawing each line of the wood into the stone wall until it was complete.

Slipping her hand back into his, Eve smiled back at Remus and lightly pushed the door open to reveal a cozy little red room with a loveseat in the middle of it.

"Mm, this looks nice," Eve smiled to herself as she led her beau inside, shutting the door behind them.

Grinning up at him, which made him smile in return, she pulled him with her to the loveseat and sat down, their hands clasping at each other's.

Beaming excitedly up at him, Eve implied after a moment of silence, "Remus, I want you to tell me everything."

Remus furrowed his eyebrows. _What on Earth could she possibly be talking about?_ "'Everything'? 'Everything' what?"

Pulling her legs up beneath her, she adjusted the afghan on her shoulders and gushed, "Everything about werewolves! What it's like to be one, what special… special abilities you have, how it all relates to us… _Everything!_"

Remus chuckled at his enthusiastic girlfriend, and placed his hands on his shoulders in a gesture that said 'Calm down.' "Alright, alright, Eve. Look, I appreciate your interest in my lycanthropy, but…" He looked down. He was so self-conscious, so much more aware of the inhuman thing he was ever since he'd told her about it… did he really have to go into great detail about the beast?

Scratching the back of his head, he murmured, "I-I'm not sure what you want me to say that you haven't already heard in your classes. I'm okay now, then I get sick, then I transform, I'm injured for a while, and then I'm okay for a short time before I transform again."

"Oh, but there must be more than that! I mean, the textbooks give a third-person account on werewolves, so I'm certain there must be more to being one than that!"

He rubbed his shoulder and shook his head gently, at a loss. He wanted to please her and answer her questions, but he also didn't want to acknowledge his other half.

Eve furrowed her eyebrows. Could it be that he was... _shy_ about his lycanthropy now? Could it be that she needed to be the more dominant one, at least for the week until he could trust her to stay with him, as he had been in their unofficial relationship?

That's when she decided that she'd need to be the one to initiate everything with him that week; all their kisses, their dates, their tender moments with one another. She'd had very little experience with being the coordinator of those sorts of things in a relationship, as she was used to being asked or led by the wizard she was seeing at the time. Eve was a little nervous that she'd mess up, but she was more than willing to take that risk for Remus.

The witch smiled tenderly at Remus and lightly reached up to stroke through his thick brown hair.

"Mm, I've always liked your hair. The style of it-" She bit her lower lip before continuing, "I've always loved shaggy hair on guys."

Remus blinked in confusion. What was going on? Where did all this come from? Whatever this was, he couldn't deny that it certainly helped fuel his dwindling self-esteem, especially when the topic of his lycanthropy came up.

He gazed at her hopefully, silently asking her to continue.

Eve, although nervous that she was doing this all wrong, was only too eager to continue, and said while rubbing noses with him, "And you have the _perfect_ nuzzling nose."

Actually cracking a smile, he asked, "Oh, really? The perfect one? How so?"

Giggling lightly, Eve grinned broadly and told him, "It's big; perfect for nuzzling!" After he chuckled, she continued, "And your lips…" She leaned toward him and breathed onto his mouth, "pouty and perfectly kissable…"

For the first time in weeks, her mouth met his for a tender, lips-only kiss…

…and he wasn't kissing back.

Confused, Eve pulled away a breath and nibbled on he lower lip before making her second attempt. Their mouths melded together once more, but it became apparent to Eve that he wasn't participating in the kiss with her. He wasn't pulling away, but his lips remained yielding and still.

Pulling away, her face flushed with embarrassment as she met his bewildered eyes. She pressed her fingertips to her lips once before rising and quickly hurrying toward the door. "Forgive me… I don't know what I was thinking-"

"Wait!" Remus insisted, catching her wrist softly so she could still pull away, but just firm enough that she knew he was touching her.

Eve turned slowly toward the werewolf, who pulled his hand away as if stung and dropped both of them onto his lap, where his eyes dropped to and focused on. He gazed up at her once more and his mouth shaped around words of apology and explanation that dared not move beyond his thoughts or lips.

He wanted to kiss Eve. He _really_ wanted to kiss Eve, but he couldn't help but think he shouldn't be kissing her because she was human and he wasn't. He didn't want her to feel as though she _had _to kiss him, but he didn't want to reject her, either.

His words failing him, Remus sighed and lowered his eyes to his hands again.

Eve's look softened as she watched the werewolf struggle and then submit to defeat. Somehow, she understood his internal battle, and slid back beside him onto the couch carefully. Lifting a tender hand, she lightly stroked through his shaggy hair while leaning toward him. She planted a smooch to his cheek and another to the corner of his lip before pressing her lips to his once more.

This time, Remus immediately grabbed hold of her shoulders and lightly pushed her away so he could stare her in the eye and say, "Eve… You know you don't have to do this, right? You know you can pull away from a kiss or walk away from our relationship at any time, don't you?"

Eve gave him a confused look before her eyes fell into a dreamy state and she asked, "Why would I do something like that? You know I fancy you-"

"Eve, just… just tell me you know and understand that," he told her firmly.

After a solid moment of gazing into his eyes, she replied "I understand, Remus." Wrapping her arms lightly around his neck, she added, "If you think that you'll hurt me just by kissing me… You couldn't be further from the truth. You're hurting me far worse by refusing me, Remus."

He swallowed, and his grip on her shoulders slowly loosened, and she carefully approached him a fourth time to mesh her mouth to his, and this time he hesitantly kissed her in return.

Releasing a relieved breath, Eve brought her hand up to cup Remus's ear to hold his head in place. He reciprocated the gesture, and buried his hand deeply within her mass of curls.

The kiss was shy and lips-only, but it was healing, nonetheless. It was what they'd both been waiting for the past few weeks; to truly be with one another once and express their feelings once more.

After a short minute, Eve pulled away with a broad smile on her lips. She lowered her cheek onto his chest and gazed happily up at him, gently caressing his cheek all the while. Every so often, she'd press a kiss into his jaw, earning a small smile from her beau.

A short time later- or perhaps it was a long time later- Eve batted her eyelashes and swallowed. She'd never done this before, and she hoped it had the outcome she wanted.

One deep breath later, she said, "Remus… I completely understand if you can't because I just proposed the one week trial yesterday and you could've gotten a date before, _especially_ since this is such short notice, but… Would you… escort me to the Yule Ball?"

A grin lit up Remus's face then, and he thumbed her cheek lightly once before replying, "I'd love to escort you to the Yule Ball."

**Author's Note:** What did everyone think of this chapter? What does everyone think will happen in the next chapter? Though I already have this planned out, I'd also like to hear what they hope will happen within the week Eve and Remus have. Please **review!**


	35. Trial Week: Day One: Part Two: Yule Ball

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note: **Thanks to those who continue to write reviews! I very much appreciate them, and they inspire me to continue writing even during busy times. Thanks again!

This fanfiction has reached over twenty-two thousand hits! Thanks a lot!

I'm sorry I was unable to update last week, and that I haven't been able to reply to the reviews. I hope that I can in one of the chapters in the near future!

**Neon Thunder.**, you don't need to ask me when you can review the next chapter; please feel free to review all of them as soon as and whenever you can! :)

I dedicate this chapter to someone I know whose birthday it is today. Happy birthday!

**Publish Date: **Sunday, October 12, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Thirty-Five: Trial Week: Day One: Part Two: Yule Ball

Eve laid the silver ribbon flat against her throat, making sure the snowflake pendant was centered before tying a bow at the back of her neck, allowing the excess ribbon to flow down her back. She checked the small tiara that sat atop her curly mane to be certain that it was going to stay in place. Gazing into the long mirror, she smoothed her hands over her floor-length gown, which was white as the snow that blanketed the outside world. The dress cut across her shoulders, leaving them exposed, and gathered here and there around her arms by silver bands. Her skirt pooled on the floor around her feet clad in silver strap high-heeled shoes. Her nails were all painted white with sparkles, and they shook lightly as they gripped the make-up brush to apply the finishing touch of eyeshadow to her eyelids.

Her make-up made her appear attractively paler, as if she'd been outside in the middle of winter. The eyeshadow was white and contrasted nicely with the rhinestones placed on the outside corners of her eyes and the glitter stuck to her eyelashes, which made it appear that it was really snow stuck there. Her lips were frosted a light, light pink with a white tint to it.

Just as she was putting on her silver snowflake earrings, she heard a squeal from the door of the girls' dormitory.

"Eve, you look amazing!" Lily exclaimed as she bounced happily in her light purple dress. Rushing to her friend, she took her hands and said, "Ah, how _do_ you come up with all these amazing fashions for the balls? I ought to have you transfigure my outfit for the next one!"

Eve beamed at the compliments and squeezed her fellow Gryffindor's hands. "Oh, Lily, don't be silly; you look lovely! I'm sure James will love your gown!"

"Oh, I certainly hope so! I quite like stunning him speechless, especially since he usually never stops talking," Lily giggled. She took another look at Eve before inquiring, "Tell me, who are you attending the ball with this time? Sirius, again? Or that Durmstrang I've seen you with?"

Grimacing, Eve replied, "Ooh, definitely _not_ the Durmstrang, and not Sirius, either." Leaning in close to the ginger-haired witch, she whispered excitedly, "Remus is my boyfriend, now! I'm going with him!"

Lily released an ear-piercing shriek before overtaking Eve in a bear hug. "Oh, Eve! I'll wager you've made him so happy!" Pulling away to gaze into her eyes, she told her, "Oh, Eve, thank you so much for understanding his condition; he definitely deserves to have someone like you with him!"

Eve smiled, but didn't have the heart to tell her that the arrangement was possibly only temporary.

"Thank you, Lily; you've been so helpful during all this." Eve grinned at the girl before offering, "Let's go; our boyfriends await."

Remus paced at the bottom of the staircase that descended from the girls' dormitory, his nerves getting the better of him. This would be their first official date as an official couple; _nothing_ could go wrong, _nothing_.

He cupped his hand in front of his mouth and breathed. Minty, he'd made sure of that. He ran his hands over his hair to make sure it wasn't mussed. _Wouldn't want her to think I'm untidy. _He dropped his gaze to his basic black dress robes (not exactly in the best condition, as he'd had to patch it up here and there over the years. He'd fix the holes via magic, but he had never taken the time to learn magic aimed at clothing, as he felt that that was a more feminine type of magic.)

He sighed and rubbed his temples as anxiety and self-consciousness set in. _Now, now, Eve fancies you for who you are, not what you dress like… But she _does_ deserve someone who at least has the money to buy decent clothes and other basic necessities..._ He pulled his hand from his face and sadly thought while turning and beginning to walk off, _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…_

"Remus?"

Remus turned upon hearing his name, and his jaw dropped as he watched Eve slowly descend the steps.

Merlin, she looked a sight! Her hair framed her head in a manner that made her resemble a lioness. Her sleek gown looked as if it were made for her body and only hers, and overall she looked…

"Eve," Remus said, closing the gap between them and taking her hand in his. "You look…" He held her hand above her head and twirled her once, his eyes lingering on the top half of her back, which was left exposed by the gown. "Why, you look like the Queen of Winter." He raised a hand of hers up to his mouth and smooched it softly, his eyes locked on hers all the while.

Her face grew red beneath her makeup, and she replied, "Aw, thank you, Remus." Taking his hands into each of her own, she pulled on them until they were behind her back, closing the gap between them as she rose up onto her tiptoes and whispered, "And you're looking quite dashing, yourself. Mm, I just _adore _a man in dress robes!" With that, she swallowed back her discomfort for public displays of affection, if only for this week so he would grow more comfortable with her knowing his secret, and she pressed her mouth against his for a brief moment before they broke apart upon hearing James gasp from behind them.

"Oi, Lily… You look… Blimey, make a bloke speechless, why don't you?" He said as he approached his girlfriend.

"That was the intention," Lily teased with a wink before granting him a kiss on the cheek.

"Shall we?" Remus asked Eve, offering his arm to her. "Sirius and Peter said to go on without them."

"Yes." Eve looped arms with him and followed James and Lily, who were giggling all the way. The werewolf and his girlfriend, however, enjoyed being near each other, even without speaking. They snuggled, stole glances at one another, and shyly kissed, or, at least, Eve shyly kissed Remus.

She was starting to feel a touch silly, what with her doing all the initiating of kisses and just about everything else, especially when Remus didn't even try to initiate something.

_I'm sure he's just… adjusting to all this… He's just a little shy right now, that's all. Right? Right?_

"Eve," Remus began suddenly, pulling Eve back from her thoughts. The gaze he fixed on her was so warm, she felt like melting, just as chocolate melts under the sun. After a long moment, he reiterated, "You really do look stunning. I…" He sighed and gazed down at the tattered robes that adorned his body, "I wish I could look up to your caliber, so you wouldn't feel embarrassed to be seen with me."

Eve stopped in her walking, causing Remus to come to a halt, as well. "Don't say that, Remus; don't even _think_ it! I couldn't care less if you attending this ball in a bunch of rags sewn together! I asked you to the Yule Ball to be with _you,_ not to be seen with someone with good dress robes!" Cradling his ashamed face between her hands, she continued with an assuring smile on her face, "Remus, I fancy you for who you are, not what you wear. If you already know that I'm fine with your secret, what makes you think I care about what you look like?"

The witch saw a shy smile slowly bloom on his face, and she leaned up onto her tiptoes to brush her lips tenderly against his. After pulling away, she rubbed noses with him and murmured, "Do you understand, Remus?"

The wizard nodded his head in response, affectionately winding one of her wild curls around his finger.

"Good." Eve smooched Remus once more before lacing fingers with him and nodding down the corridor. "Come along."

They pushed open the thick doors to the Great Hall, and gaped in wonder at the winter world before them. The Great Hall was decorated in shades of white, blue, and purple, and it was magically charmed to snow.

Eve giggled and put her hand out to catch some of the snowflakes, but they continued falling straight through her flesh and onto the floor.

"It's so beautiful!"

Eve laughed in delight, and Remus watched cheerfully as her nose crinkled up and her eyes sparkled with delight.

"Yeah… beautiful…" He said in a low voice, though his eyes did not leave her face once to survey the room. She noticed this and blushed lightly, glancing down as she did.

"May I… get you something to drink? Water? Pumpkin juice?" Remus offered, but Eve merely shook her head.

"No thanks. Let's just dance." With that, she grinned and grabbed Remus's hands, leading him out onto the dance floor."I've been looking forward to dancing with you," she admitted as pink dusted onto her cheeks. "I remember how great of a dancer you were at the Halloween Ball; so smooth and precise…" They took up their poses to begin their waltz as she continued reminiscing, "Mm, I even recall feeling light-heading at one point."

Remus chuckled lightly as they twirled around the dance floor together, slowly losing themselves in a world where only each other's eyes existed.

Vladimir, dressed to impress in a rather sharp set of dress robes, entered the ball with a gaggle of giggling girls flocked around him, all too eager to be escorted by the dateless Durmstrang wizard. He had only just caught wind of Eve's intention to attend the ball with her former, er… whatever he had been to her; Eve had always been a bit vague on exactly what she and Remus had been in relation to one another. If it weren't for the short notice, Vladimir could have easily found another willing date to escort to the ball.

However, Vladimir had always been known to go after the girls he knew he couldn't have because they seemed to fancy someone else. He admitted it; he was a man of the chase. Although he loved being adored, he also fancied chasing after a girl until he'd caught her and wrapped her so tightly around his finger that she was unwilling to let go of him, even after he'd moved on.

Narrowing his bright eyes, Vladimir set his jaw and marched over to the content couple, leaving pouting witches in his wake.

Eve, who'd rested her head onto Remus's chest and was just beginning to dreamily ask him what he was thinking about right then, jumped in shock when Vladimir reached them.

"Mind if I cut in?"He asked with a sickeningly sweet, yet with a hint of sinister, smile. "After all, I _did_ ask you to the ball first, no? It is only polite to at least allow me vun dance, Eef."

Eve fluttered her eyelashes at Remus, who was hard at work pondering the thought over, silently begging him not to allow Vladimir to dance with her.

He didn't sense Eve's opposition, however, as all he could think was, _Ugh, I don't want that bloody git anywhere near her… But if I don't let him dance with her… then I'll just look like a possessive boyfriend, and Merlin knows I don't want her to think of me that way…_

Finding himself trapped with no other path to go down, Remus sighed and said, "Fine; you may have _one_ dance with her." He took her hand up and purposely kissed it in front of Vladimir before placing it into the Durmstrang's hand. He would have kissed her on the mouth to further spite the other wizard, but he knew just how shy and uncomfortable Eve was with such a display of affection, and so settled for pecking her hand.

As he moved to walk away, he lingered by Vladimir long enough to whisper to him, "I will be standing just over _there_, getting myself a drink." With that, he walked over to the table that had goblets of pumpkin juice on it and helped himself to one, sipping it slowly as he watched Vladimir like a dragon as he danced with his girlfriend.

Brushing off Remus's comment, Vladimir immediately grabbed Eve and yanked her to him so that their bodies touched as they danced. Eve squeaked and her eyes went wide at the surprise, but, as always, his grip on her was far too tight to allow her to step back and create a gap between them.

"Eef, you are looking… _gorgeous_ tonight," Vladimir purred low, twirling her fast beneath his arm before roughly tugging her to him once more. Even though they'd only been dancing a minute, Eve had already come to realize just how differently Vladimir and Remus danced, and was convinced that the way one danced reflected on one's character. Remus danced smoothly and tenderly, making absolutely certain that she was enjoying the dance just as much as he was, whereas Vladimir was very forceful and liked to show off his strength in a dance.

"Please, Vlad… be gentler?" Eve asked after she thought she received whiplash from the dip he wrenched her up from.

"Ah, vhat is it vith girls and vanting to be gentle?" Vladimir asked confusedly as he twirled her under his arm and pulled her back to him.

"When I feel like my arm is going to snap off at the shoulder because of what should be a simple twirl, then I think being gentle is a necessity," Eve asserted.

Vladimir laughed heartily to spite the girl and exclaimed, "You always vere amusing, Eef, vhat vith everything you thought up to say!" He playfully smacked her on the bum, which made Eve squeak in surprise.

Remus saw what the audacious wizard had done, and felt his head boil red hot at the look of sheer discomfort on his girl's face.

Chucking his goblet onto the floor, he shoved his way through the other dancers until he'd approached Eve. When he tried reaching for her, Vladimir clucked his tongue at him and twirled her away from him, saying, "No, no, no; you promised me a full dance, and a full dance I shall have."

"Not when you make Eve uncomfortable, you shan't," Remus snapped at the wizard. He caught Eve by the arm and pulled her away from Vladimir.

Eve clutched frantically at Remus, hugging him close and whispering into his ear, "Thank Merlin; I didn't know how much longer I could put up with him."

"No, _that_ was not part of the agreement." Vladimir grabbed Eve and jerked her back to him. "I still have until the end of this song." His hand wandered down her back once more, and Eve knew very well that he was trying to get at her bum.

"Vlad, _stop!_" She pleaded, barely able to break away from him as Remus held out his arms to her and she hurried between them.

"As soon as you upset my girlfriend, all deals are off. Besides, she obviously doesn't want to be around you; why else would she constantly insist on returning to me?" Remus arched a challenging brow, rubbing Eve's back soothingly.

Vladimir glared in shock at Eve's back. "Boyfriend? He is your _boyfriend_ now? So soon after you vere vith me?" Eve turned to look at Vladimir nervously as he scoffed, "It is just like a _mudblood_ to have such fickle emotions."

Eve's blood turned to ice within her veins at hearing the disgusting word leave her former boyfriend's lips. She didn't know whether to turn red with embarrassment or pale with dread, but her jaw fell open and her mouth dried up, leaving her speechless.

"HOW _DARE_ YOU!" Remus bellowed, pulling his wand from his robes to point at the wizard. He exclaimed a spell that made Vladimir hiccup frogs- _Disgusting frogs for a disgusting frog, _Remus thought to himself with a smirk at his deviously brilliant prank- and the wizard left in a hurry toward the Hospital Wing.

He turned to comfort Eve, though saw her run out of the Great Hall, her face red, her hands covering her eyes. He also saw Sirius take notice of Eve's state, and also of Vladimir's, and watched his fellow Marauder follow the Durmstrang out.

Remus hurried after his girlfriend, his heart frantically beating within his chest. _Our supposed-to-be-perfect evening spoiled_, he thought to himself, _all thanks to that bloody stupid Vladimir._

The worried wizard reached the entrance of the school, and found Eve sitting in the snow, shivering violently, and, worst of all, crying, chanting to herself like a mantra, "Mudblood… Stupid, stupid mudblood…"

"Hey, now," Remus softly said to her after pulling off his cloak and wrapping her tightly in it, as was his usual custom, "I don't ever want to hear that word coming out of your mouth to describe yourself, am I understood? Don't listen to that git."

She released a sob then, and Remus gathered Eve up into his arms, rocking her gently back and forth. He shushed her gently, rubbing the back of her head. When she'd finally calmed and quieted, he lifted her head from his chest and wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks.

"There we go." He carefully pecked her forehead and said with a small grin, "You're too pretty to cry, Evie."

Giving a watery laugh, Eve inquired, "How does that even make any sense?"

She tugged at the cloak she wore while Remus said, "Don't listen to him; he obviously doesn't know who he's talking to. He's just… He's just…"

"He's just a monster," Eve whispered as snow collected on her hair and eyelashes. Snuggling up to Remus, she licked her lips and carefully told him, "You're more of a man… more of a _hu_man than he could ever hope of becoming."

Dropping his gaze to the ground, Remus breathed, "Surely you don't mean that. I'm a-"

"A werewolf, yes," she finished for him. "But far more human than him, nonetheless. You said it yourself; I kept returning to you even though I could've just as easily stayed with him." Laying her head on his shoulder, she said, "I feel far safer and much more comfortable with you than I ever did with him. I feel like… like if we ever went on one of our star-gazing dates and I got sleepy, I could fall asleep right beside you without worry; I'd feel completely safe. I don't think I could feel that way with Vlad..."

"Do… Do you _really_ mean that?" Remus asked with a gulp after a pause.

Eve nodded and leaned up to kiss his ear, cheek, and then lips. Remus kept up with his end of the kiss, trying to put into action what words failed to describe what he felt toward her for telling him all that. He felt a tingling sensation in his heart that he'd never felt before with any other girl. Perhaps it was because they both understood perfectly that he was a werewolf and she didn't mind and still chose to be with him.

Breaking the kiss, they each lightly panted before Remus spoke up. "Do… Do you want to head back inside to the Yule Ball?"

Eve ruffled through the ragged hair of his that she loved and grinned. "And miss out on a chance for some alone time with my wonderful boyfriend? No way!"

He blushed and chuckled, and there they remained for the rest of the night, kissing, snuggling, giggling, and tumbling through the snow on a very merry Christmas Eve night.

**Author's Note:** What did everyone think of this chapter? Did it turn out the way everyone expected it to turn out? What does everyone think will happen on Christmas day? Please leave the answers to these questions and your opinions on this chapter in a **review!**


	36. Trial Week: Day Two: Christmas Bliss

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** I'd like to take the time to thank everyone for bearing with me as my updates aren't being posted as frequently as they used to be. Life is getting a little hectic and busy, but I will continue to try to post as often as I can; for right now, and perhaps for the next three weeks, the updates may only come once every other week. The week following those three weeks should not be as busy for me, so I'll try to write as much as I can in that time in order to be able to post weekly again. Once again, I'd like to thank all my loyal readers for continuing to favorite this fanfiction and put it on their alerts, as well as for reading and reviewing. Thank you all!

There have been over twenty-three thousand hits to this fanfiction!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, October 26, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Thirty-Six: Trial Week: Day Two: Christmas Bliss

Eve's hand trembled lightly as she applied a light layer of pink lipstick to her puckered mouth. She needed to look her best for Remus that day, especially because it was Christmas day. The two had agreed the night before to meet at the Room of Requirement, where they could have some alone time to exchange gifts and, at least Eve hoped, snuggle, kiss, and get used to being a couple all over again.

When she was satisfied with the make-up she applied- mascara, eyeliner, and shimmering eyeshadow to highlight her eyes; light pink, glossy lipstick; and a light spritz of perfume that smelled of pine special for the holiday- she turned this way and that before the mirror to check her outfit. She wore a cream-colored, soft turtle-neck sweater that hugged her frame and a knee-length maroon skirt that had several underskirts to make it seem to float around her legs. The ballet-style slippers that adorned her feet were the same color as her sweater.

"Ooh, don't _we_ look nice this morning?" Lily noticed as she stepped out of the shower in her crimson robe.

Eve glanced up in the mirror and smiled at her fellow Gryffindor's reflection. "Thanks. I'm meeting with Remus this morning, so…" She gave a small wave of her hand and left it with that.

"Ah, I see. Well, go make Remus's jaw clatter to the floor," Lily said with a wink.

After giving the witch a hug, Eve grabbed her present to Remus and practically skipped to the Room of Requirement. She paced by it three times, imagining what she'd like the room to appear as, and waited within until she heard a knock at the door.

Walking slowly over to the door, Eve drew in a shaky, nervous breath as she smoothed down her sweater and turned the doorknob.

Remus lowered his hand from the door and felt his face fall from one that was looking forward to meeting with Eve to one of awe. Merlin, he didn't realize she could be even more beautiful than she already was! Her make-up looked natural and flawless, and her outfit was adorable- and he couldn't help but notice that she had a cute taste in fashion whenever she could wear her own clothes in place of her uniform and robes.

Leaning against the doorframe, Eve twirled one of her curls and welcomed with a smile, "Happy Christmas, Remus."

Remus opened his mouth, but no words would come, and he was so distracted by Eve he dropped the neatly-wrapped package in his hand, the clattering breaking his silence.

"Oi," he muttered, reaching down to pick it up as Eve covered her mouth, worrying whether the object within the package was fragile. "See what you do to me?" He lightly teased as he straightened up, adjusting the collar of his forest green button-down shirt.

She grinned before he pushed against her shoulder to lead her into the Room of Requirement while playfully exclaiming, "Quick! Get inside before my girlfriend catches us!"

Eve laughed loudly, amused by Remus's joke, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He led her backwards into the room and shut the door behind them before folding his arms around her waist and gazing down at her. "You look _stunning_, Eve." He ran a hand up her back and tenderly tugged at a few curls.

"Thank you." Eve wrinkled up her nose gaily and lightly nibbled on her lower lip. She bounced on the balls of her feet and her eyes sparkled with mirth as she silently egged him on to ask her…

"What is it?"

She glanced shyly up toward the ceiling, and Remus followed her line of vision until he found, dangling by a thread, a sprig of mistletoe. He swallowed loudly; he hadn't initiated a direct kiss to her mouth since moments before he confessed to her his secret; he just couldn't bring himself to force her to kiss him, or, at least, he wasn't sure if she'd have to force herself to kiss him back.

Remus lowered his warm brown eyes to her gray ones blinking hopefully up at him. He didn't want to become even more of a disappointment to her, so he slowly leaned down and… smooched the corner of her mouth.

At this, Eve was mildly disappointed, but she didn't want to pressure him into initiating an actual kiss if he didn't want to.

He pulled away from the kiss and buried his face into the curve where her shoulder met her neck, and Eve immediately forgave him. Reaching up and ruffling back his hair, she felt at that moment that his feelings were restricting and impacting him as much as they were her, and so they would need to work through them together as a team.

Eve nuzzled his ear with her nose before pulling away and holding his hands in hers. "Come on." She led him into the Room of Requirement, and Remus saw that it had been transformed into a cozy carpeted room with a dip in the floor to create a pit with multicolored and varying-sized pillows and throw blankets in front of a fireplace. Off to one side of the fireplace was a Christmas tree with twinkling white lights and a crystal star on top.

"Wow," Remus murmured as Eve stepped down into the circular pit with him. "You really outdid yourself, Eve!"

Feigning arrogance, Eve flipped her hair over one shoulder and jested, "I try." Raising up on her knees, she reached over Remus and toward the Christmas tree, beneath which her present lay.

"'Scuse me," she muttered, but Remus didn't mind in the least. In fact, he quite liked being close to Eve… _Mm, especially because she smells so good… Is that… pine? Mm…_

"This is for you," Eve shyly stated, her lower lip worrying between her teeth, hoping that he'd like her gift. She extended her hand to him so he could take the lumpy present.

"Nice wrap job, Evie," Remus couldn't help but tease with a smirk, waving the poorly-wrapped present in the air.

Smacking him lightly on the shoulder, she replied, "Shut up! It's a very difficult gift to wrap!"

"Relax, I'm only teasing!" Remus reassured her as he leaned against a pillow. As he unwrapped the gift, Eve pulled a throw blanket over her knees and hugged a pillow to her stomach, watching intently for his reaction.

He first unwrapped a folded portion of parchment to reveal a scratchy drawing of a slightly-lanky boy with shaggy hair and stubble who he assumed was him.

"I've been practicing a little," Eve offered quietly. Swallowing, she added, "I know it's still not great, but-"

"You're doing so well," he encouraged with a broad smile. Sure, it was a pretty poor drawing, but it was still better than the one she'd drawn of his hand when she asked her to teach him. And besides, she was trying, and it was the thought that counted, right?

"I love it. Tonight I'm going to hang it by my bed in the dormitory. Thank you."

He kissed her brow as she pointed out, "Er, there's one thing more…"

Looking down at the still-full package, he grinned. "So there is." His nimble fingers deftly undid the last string, and he pulled from the wrapping paper a memory he thought he'd never see again.

"Woofie," he whispered, and Eve smiled lightly.

"He… He missed you," she offered, using her hand to make the stuffed animal bob its head, and created little whimpers for it.

Remus chuckled and patted what was once his stuffed animal on the head. Then, the mischievous Marauder couldn't help but turn this into a playful moment by making sniffing and then growling sounds, as if the stuffed animal were the one producing them.

"Uh-oh," he said with concern in his voice. "It's been so long, he doesn't remember me!"

Eve giggled a little before Remus put on a show of the small stuffed animal pinning him down and barking at him wildly, rolling through the pit of pillows with it.

"Ah! Call off your guard dog, Eve; call him off!"

Eve threw her head back and laughed in earnest as Remus pretended to wrestle with the stuffed animal. It was particularly amusing because he was such a tall boy compared to the tiny puppy… and the latter appeared to be winning.

"Oh, Remus, stop! Too… funny!" Eve laughed as she clutched at her sides and rolled around by the edge of the pit.

Remus continued to make growling and barking noises for Woofie and cried out, "Oi, he's a yippy little fellow, isn't he?"

Eve, still in stitches, crawled over to Remus in an effort to "rescue" him from the stuffed animal, but he accidentally grabbed hold of her and flipped her over so she was lying back on pillows and he was above her. The witch's breath caught in her throat, and Remus heard her heartbeat quicken affectionately as clearly as if he had heard his own.

He was about to move off of her and apologize, but Eve tenderly reached up and caressed his stubbly jaw, smiling distractedly up at him. "Do you… Do you like your present?"

"I love my present," Remus whispered in return, gently brushing a couple of curls to the side of her face. "But… I think Woofie should stay with _you_."

"What?" Eve asked, her brows folding together confusedly. Hurt, she inquired, "Why?"

"Let me put it this way: I think Woofie is better displayed on a witch's bed rather than a wizard's. Do you get what I'm saying?"

With a sheepish grin, Eve replied, "Yeah, yeah, I get it; your friends would probably tease you to no end if you brought back Woofie."

Remus chuckled and, laying Woofie beside her head, assured her while stroking her chin, "Thank you for your presents; they're wonderful."

"I… I just feel bad that the only thing you're taking is my not-so-great drawing," Eve confessed embarrassedly.

Remus shook his head as if to say 'No, not at all', and then thought of something.

"_No, keep Woofie," his younger self had once urged Eve._

"_But… But I don't have a present for you," Eve responded, distraught._

"_Well, there is something you can give me."_

Smiling as he recalled what happened next, Remus rubbed noses with her and said, "Well… there is _something_ you can give me."

Eyelashes fluttering, Eve asked, "What is it?"

"_Well, maybe I could give you one and then you give me one back?"_

"Well, maybe I could give you one and then you give me one back?" Remus offered.

_Eve nodded her approval._

Eve bobbed her head.

"_Close your eyes."_

"Close your eyes."

Eve beamed before shutting her eyes, awaiting her first kiss initiated by Remus during their official relationship.

Remus smoothed his thumb tenderly over Eve's cheek and gazed down at her lovely, sweet face glowing in the firelight. He wished he could work up the courage to press his lips to hers, but his guilt held him captive and allowed him only the pleasure of pecking the side of her lips.

Eve released a small sigh of disappointment, but restrained the feeling from getting the best of her as she opened her eyes. Arching her neck, she leaned up to catch his lips with hers, cooing lightly when he reacted and kissed her in return.

"I adore your soft kisses," Eve whispered through their smooch before returning her mouth to his, feeling a smile blooming on his face.

A minute later, he caressed her side through her incredibly soft sweater and broke the kiss, grinning as he said, "And a happy Christmas to you, too! I'd wager that was the best Christmas gift I've ever gotten." He smiled down as Eve giggled modestly before telling her, "I have a little something for you, as well."

"Oh, you… you didn't have to," Eve insisted as he rose, allowing her to sit up.

"Don't be silly, Eve; I wanted to." Remus smiled gently and ran the back of his hand along the side of her face before reaching over to the lip of the pit and retrieving his gift for her.

"This…" Remus sighed as he turned the small, carefully wrapped package around in his hands. "This gift… may not be the most elaborate or… or expensive or…" He swallowed and shook his head. "But I want you to know that I put plenty of thought and time into it, so…" He gave her the green-wrapped box and sat up on a pillow, anxious for her reaction. "Happy Christmas."

A sprig of mistletoe decorated the present, and Eve grinned and wove it into her hair above her ear. "I should be getting plenty of kisses today," she winked playfully. Kissing his cheek, she told him, "I'm sure I'll love your gift," before moving to sit in his lap.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her while she gently pulled the wrapping paper off the box. On top of the box, she found a folded piece of parchment. Setting the box aside for the moment to focus on the parchment, she unfolded it and found a breath-taking drawing of her in her gown for the Yule Ball. She was perched on the steps and craning her neck as if searching for someone, and the quote, "Remus?" was scrawled in beautiful cursive writing at the bottom.

"Remus," Eve breathed in awe, turning to gaze at him over her shoulder. "Whenever did you find the time to draw this? It's beautiful!"

"I stayed up a while after we said good night last night. You looked gorgeous; I honestly couldn't help but draw you," Remus said while squeezing her in his embrace.

Blushing lightly, Eve gazed down at the drawing and whispered, "Thank you." A short time later, when she'd gazed at the drawing thoroughly, she turned and said, "I love it, thank you." After rewarding him with a kiss, she told him with a wink, as she was restating what he had before, "I'll have to hang it by my bed in the dormitory."

Chuckling, Remus told her, "I'd like very much for you to do that, Eve." He kissed her temple and handed her the box. "Here. I want to see what you think of this."

Eve smiled and held the box lightly in her hands. She opened the latch and found within a golden silk scarf wrapped around what she assumed was the gift. Eve felt Remus shift behind her and rest his chin on her shoulder, hugging her closer to him. She cooed lightly to him affectionately and snuggled back into his chest, encouraging him to continue.

Eve unraveled the package from the silk and held in her hands a brand new deck of tarot cards.

"Oh, Remus…" She gasped, allowing the silk to fall through her fingers. Noting the intricate designs of black, leafy vines decorating the back of the cards, she turned them over in her hands to find characters beautifully illustrated in black ink to personify each card.

"Oh, they're beautiful! I… I've never seen tarot cards like these before, I… I can't imagine how long it must've taken you to find them or… or how much they must've cost or… Thank you." She leaned back to kiss him, and he accepted it with a knowing smile.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised you've never seen cards like these before. And it didn't take me very long to find them or cost very much money, as I said earlier." Eve's face folded into a thoroughly confused look, and he urged, "Look closer."

Turning slowly around, Eve looked through the cards until she came to the King of Chalices and the Queen of Chalices. Something of those two looked awfully familiar…

"Why… they look just like us…" Eve gasped loudly as a thought struck her, and she covered her mouth as she exclaimed, "Oh, Remus, you didn't!"

Remus smiled shyly and said, "Er… actually, I did."

"You… You_ drew_ all these? Remus, that's seventy-eight cards!"

"I worked on most of them when we were unofficially courting," he explained. With a grin, he jested sarcastically, "But my hands thank you for reminding them of that."

"No, it's just…" She bit her lower lip as tears stung at the backs of her eyes. "I-I can't believe you'd put so much effort into something for me, I…" She continued flipping through the cards, making all sorts of sounds of disbelief until she came upon the very last one, the one that Remus was most nervous of her seeing, if mostly for the negative reaction she could potentially have.

It was The Lovers card. On it, he'd drawn himself and Eve, radiant as ever, smiling down at the top of Remus's head as she clutched it to her collarbone. His arms encircled her waist and embraced her affectionately as he gazed out of the card as if he were the happiest wizard alive. Remus wasn't sure if drawing the two of them on The Lovers card was too forward of him, and so braced himself.

Remus gripped Eve tighter from behind and held his breath, waiting to hear what she had to say about the drawing.

"Oh," her shaky, breaking voice breathed. "Oh, Remus…"

Rubbing her sides, he quietly said, "You're… You're crying."

"Well, of course I'm crying, silly!" Eve chuckled through her tears. "Do you really expect me to be… _unmoved_ by all these beautiful drawings? I _love _them! This tarot deck is so… so _beautiful!_ _And_ it's a one-of-a-kind deck. Oh, thank you, Remus!"

With that, she turned around in Remus's arms and fused her mouth to his, and the feeling she put into the kiss surprised the both of them. She couldn't help herself; Remus was an amazing boyfriend for her, and he put a staggering amount of effort into making her happy.

Remus deepened the kiss, pulling Eve up even further up onto his lap. He buried his hand into her thick hair, and she ran her fingers lightly down his chest. Remus, wanting to hear her coo some more for him, tugged lightly at her lower lip between both of his own.

"Mm, that feels lovely, Remus," she cooed, sliding her fingertips along his stubbly jaw.

"Good," Remus replied as Eve smooched down his neck. "Mm, now _that_ feels lovely," he said with a grin, rubbing the back of her head. She giggled and inadvertently moved down to where the scar from Fenrir Greyback's bite marred his skin. He felt a light, playful nip there and jumped at the sensation, causing her to jerk away from him, eyes wide.

"Did… did you just… _bite_ me?" Remus asked in shock. Eve seemed like such an innocent girl, he'd be slightly shocked if she replied in the positive.

Eve blushed a deep purple immediately and regretted the action. "Well, ah, see… I-I was sort of… Um…" She grabbed an afghan and became suddenly interested in playing with the fringe, if only to divert some of her attention. "Well, um… uh… 'bite' is-is such a-a strong word, I… I only nipped, really, b-b-but I won't e-ever again, since you, um… don't seem to… uh… you, ah, don't… want… me… to… I'mSoSorry!" She blurted her apology as if it were one word and turned away from him. Sure, she'd gotten a little caught up in the moment, but it had taken a lot of courage on her part in order to show him something else she liked.

_Merlin, he probably thinks I'm just… ugh, that I'm just disgusting! I can't believe I actually thought he'd… Oh, how mortifying!_

"Come here," Remus said, holding out a hand to Eve.

Eve, keeping her gray eyes fixed on the pillows in the pit, obeyed and slid slowly toward him. He caught her chin and made her look him in the eye, causing her to sustain the deep coloration of her blushing. Keeping his eyes locks with hers, he leaned down and placed a tiny nibble on the side of her neck.

Eve's eyes were wide with surprise as he straightened up, and he said with a small grin, "I'm open to new things. Just… not on that side of my neck." He straightened his button-down shirt as he said this. She had bitten his scar, and the feeling there was tenfold what it would have been had she nipped him elsewhere, which was why he'd had such a strong reaction.

"I'm sorry, Remus," Eve said softly, the bottom half of her face hiding behind a pillow she'd pulled onto her lap. She was still flustered by the incident.

"No, don't be, Eve. I want you to feel comfortable with me," he insisted. He leaned forward to peck at her forehead, and caressed her stomach lightly, causing a loud coo to emit from her throat.

He rubbed her tummy once more, only to have the same result. "You like that?"

Eve looked just as surprised as Remus did, and admitted, "Yeah… I didn't even know my belly was so sensitive!"

Remus smirked; if Eve didn't know about it, then Vladimir certainly didn't, which made this discovery all the sweeter for him.

Remus continued tenderly caressing her stomach, delighting in the reactions she gave. She seemed to turn to jelly at the touch, and slumped against him as she practically purred in delight like a kitten. He chuckled slightly at the thought; his little kitten.

It was a few minutes before Eve lifted her head and melded her lips to his once more, and almost a half-hour until they emerged from the Room of Requirement, giggling and nuzzling their noses and smooching and murmuring tender endearments to one another.

It wasn't until they heard someone clear his throat that they realized that there was a world besides the one they'd been submersed in all morning, and Eve quickly buried her head into Remus's chest as Sirius smirked and said to his fellow Marauders (and Lily), "Ha! I figured you two were hoggin' the Room of Requirement! Well, you've obviously had your fun; it seems our dear Moony has forgotten the Christmas 'nog and gone straight for the Christmas _snog!_"

The Marauders laughed heartily while Remus whispered soothing words to the embarrassed Eve, telling her not to listen to them.

Suddenly, and without warning, Eve fainted in Remus's arms.

**Author's Note: **_Questions to the Readers:_ What did everyone think of Remus and Eve's Christmas together? What does everyone think happened to Eve? Please leave the answers to these questions in your **reviews!**


	37. Trial Week: Day Two: Part Two

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** I'd like to, once again, thank all those who take the time out of their days to review each chapter. It means a lot to me that there are readers who feel so strongly about this fanfiction that they'd offer their opinions, especially those who make certain to review thoroughly at each update. The reviews keep me motivated to continue writing this piece, since I know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong for the future, so, needless to say, the more reviews, the more motivated I feel to continue with this fanfiction! Thanks!

Lastly, I'd like to take the time to wish a very good friend of mine and a reader and reviewer of this fanfiction a very happy belated birthday!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, November 9, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Trial Week: Day Two: Part Two

Eve giggled with Remus about absolutely nothing as she backed him up into the Room of Requirement door.

"You have me trapped, m'lady," he jested while squeezing her sides in his hands, making her squeal.

"Mm, good," she purred in a playfully low voice while planting a hand to the door on either side of him. "I have you right," she smooched his chest, "where I," she rose up to kiss his adam's apple, "want you," she balanced her weight on her tip-toes and grinned playfully at Remus's intrigued arched brow before pressing her soft lips to his.

Remus leaned down against her lips and kissed her back for a minute before pulling away and asserting, "And now we go to the Great Hall; we've been here long enough, and it's well past breakfast-"

"Mussy, it's well past lunch!" Eve pointed out as she pecked the tip of his chin.

Taking her by the hands and pulling her down and away from his face, he tried again, "Eve, really; I'd feel much better if you had something to eat before we, er… continued in here. You're such a little girl as it is-"

Eve crossed her arms and pouted. "Not little."

"-you really can't afford not to eat a meal."

Eve burst into laughter at the notion. "Oh, _please!_ I can most certainly 'afford' to skip a meal; I could stand to lose a little weight-"

"Don't say that; trust me, you're a slender girl. It's how tiny you are that's making me worry about-"

"_Again_ with the height thing!" Eve teasingly huffed, though in a way that told Remus that, while she was amused by it, she was also annoyed by it. "Just because I'm short doesn't mean you can tease me about it."

Running his hands slowly up Eve's sides, Remus smoothly told her, "You know, I've always had a thing for short girls."

Eve arched an eyebrow. Well, she liked where he was going with this! "Have you, now?"

"Yeah. So much so, in fact," he reached behind himself and turned the doorknob, "that I've also developed a liking for short girls who eat all their meals on time."

"Ah!" Eve exclaimed, shaking a finger at him in jest. "You tricked me! 'Short girls who eat'… that doesn't even make sense!"

Remus chuckled and led her out of the Room of Requirement, still locked in one another's embrace. "It doesn't have to make sense as long as it works, right?"

The two giggled and nuzzled their way out of the Room of Requirement until they heard muffled chuckling and someone clearing their throat.

Eve glanced over to find the Marauders, red in the face from trying to silence their laughter, and Lily, who winked and waved at the witch.

It was then that Eve felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, and she swallowed hard and buried her head into Remus's chest, trying to mentally force the feeling away from her.

Sirius slapped his thigh and howled, "Ha! I figured you two were hoggin' the Room of Requirement! Well, you've obviously had your fun; it seems our dear Moony has forgotten the Christmas 'nog and gone straight for the Christmas _snog!_"

Eve whimpered and clutched tightly at Remus's shirt as she felt shivers stampede up her spine and sweat race down the sides of her face and neck. Something wasn't right; something was _definitely_ not right…

"There, there, Evie; don' t listen to a word they say. They're only teasing," Remus whispered soothingly into Eve's ear, rubbing her back.

"Re… Re… Remus…" Eve panted almost inaudibly as her eyes squeezed shut against the nausea that gripped her stomach. Her eyes immediately popped open as images flashed before them.

Eve felt the floor fall from beneath her, and her world went black as she dropped, limp, in Remus's arms.

"Eve? EVE!" Remus shouted in shock.

"Boy, the bird doesn't even know how to take a joke!" Peter said, looking around for someone to laugh with him, but when everyone else glared at him, he shrank back.

"What's wrong with her?" Lily asked, scared, as she approached Eve and rested a hand on her forehead. "Eve?" She spoke into her ear, "Can you hear me?"

"She's fainted." Remus felt his heart palpitate in panic and he yelled, "She's fainted! Eve, wake up!" He leaned her on one arm and rubbed frantically at one of her cheeks in a fruitless effort to revive her.

"That's not how you do it!" Lily cried out, pushing Remus's hand away from Eve's face.

"Go figure: the only one who could tell us how to handle this situation is the one who's fainted!" Sirius exclaimed frustratedly as Remus shifted her in his arms to lift her up bridal-style.

"Come on, we need to bring her to Madam Pomfrey." Remus's voice shook as he spoke and Lily patted him on the back supportively.

"She'll be alright, Remus." Lily and the others walked quickly alongside him toward the Hospital Wing.

"Madam Pomfrey!" Remus called out when he burst through the doors of the Hosptial Wing.

"What is it?" The Healer asked as she hurried over to the group, gasping at the pale girl limp in the werewolf's arms. "Oh, dear! She's quite accident-prone, isn't she?" She clucked. "Lay her down- gently, now- on this cot."

Remus, arms shaking nervously as he worried over Eve, tenderly rested her seemingly boneless body on the bed, smoothing some hair out of her white, white face as he did so. "What… What can I do?" Remus asked of the Healer, rolling up his sleeves. He was more than prepared to do whatever was necessary to revive his girlfriend, especially since she had often remained by his side in the Hospital Wing, and even more so because he had yet to return the favor… Oh, how he loathed remembering his turning the other way while Eve pleaded with him to hold her hand…

Madame Pomfrey returned promptly with a dish of water and a cloth and, glad to have a helper in the group of witches and wizards, caught her breath and instructed, "Prop up her feet with a few pillows, loosen her clothing, and then wipe her forehead with the cloth and water." As she was called away by another student in need, she told him, "I'll be back to check up on her shortly!"

Remus nodded and immediately tugged away a few extra pillows framing Eve's head to stuff them beneath her ankles. He stood puzzled for a moment when the thought occurred to him that Eve's clothes looked loose enough… But Madam Pomfrey told him to loosen them.

He rested his hand on her stomach, about to lift up her sweater just enough so only her stomach was exposed, as he reasoned that the purpose of loosening the clothing was to allow her to breathe easier.

With a subtle wink, Sirius said softly, almost seriously, as he didn't want to further upset Remus, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, mate."

Remus ignored him and lifted up Eve's shirt slightly, and found, to his immense relief, that she was wearing a camisole beneath her sweater. He gently pulled the sweater up and over her, freeing her throat from the raised collar that covered it.

Brushing curls away from her forehead, Remus took the cloth that Lily dampened for him and pressed it to her forehead, allowing water droplets to roll down the sides of her face and neck.

"Please Eve," Remus whispered into her ear before holding up her hand and pressing kisses to her knuckles, "please wake up."

No sooner did he finish his plea than did Eve gasp loudly and jerk up, drawing in lungfuls of air.

"Eve!" Remus exclaimed ecstatically before pulling her into a tight hug. "Eve, thank Merlin you're alright!" He kissed her cheek while she fisted into his shirt.

"Remus, please!" She pleaded loudly, as if she couldn't hear herself speak. "Please… Don't leave me… Please don't… Remus please don't leave me!"

"What?" Remus whispered confusedly, pulling away from her slowly.

"What's wrong with her eyes?" James asked, clutching Lily closer to him.

Remus craned his head to see what James was talking about and saw a glazed look in Eve's eyes, and her pupils were dilated so much that he could scarcely see a ring of gray surrounding their circumferences.

"Eve?" Remus inquired. "Eve!"

_Eve sat beside Remus on the cot in the Hospital Wing, helping him recuperate from the full moon. The pair sat in tense silence as the witch tended to an injury on his shoulder._

"_Feel any better?" She asked quietly after she'd rubbed some of the cool, creamy salve Madam Pomfrey left with them into the joint of his shoulder._

_Remus shrugged his good shoulder. "As good as I could possibly feel right now, I suppose." His eyes stared down at the blanket covering his body, purposely avoiding meeting her eyes._

"_What's wrong?" Eve asked softly, brushing his ruffled bangs away from his face._

_Eve watched as Remus's adam's apple bobbed madly in his throat as his mind formed the words his own ears refused to hear. "I… I don't think this is going to work… that _we_ are going to work…"_

_Eve's eyebrows furrowed as she pulled away. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. They'd had so much fun together the past week; hadn't that meant anything to him?_

"_Aren't… Aren't you happy with me?" She asked, hurt. She'd poured everything she'd had, everything she was into that week of official exclusivity with him… and it was all for nothing…_

"_That…" Remus sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, his fists gripping into the sheets. He felt as if someone else were taking over and speaking through him; he felt like he did right when he was on the verge of transforming, when the line between man and wolf blurred. "That is beside the point, Eve. We can't be together."_

_Eve watched Remus's face faded to pink as he bit on his lower lip to keep the words he _really_ wanted to say to her- how she made him feel, how much he'd enjoyed their week together, and how he desperately wished to share much more time like that with her- from spilling from his throat._

"_Oh… Oh, no… Remus…" Eve felt the beginnings of tears sting the backs of her eyes as she pleaded in a voice no louder than a whisper, "Please, Remus… Please don't leave me."_

"Please don't leave me, Remus," Eve repeated like a broken record to the group of concerned Marauders standing around her.

"Eve, I'm right here, I'm not leaving you," Remus assured her. Holding her head in his hands, he forced her to face him. "Why aren't you looking at me?" He whispered to himself as he noticed that, while her eyes gazed in his direction, they weren't looking into his.

"Has she woken up yet?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she hurried back into the cubicle. She looked past Remus and gasped. "Off! She can't see you, boy!" As Eve continued chanting her mantra, the Healer pulled Remus back and scolded, "Why did no one tell me she was psychically inclined?" She clucked her tongue and took note of this information for future reference on a bit of parchment she summoned. "I hope you don't turn into Sybil Trelawney, dear," she murmured down at Eve. "I see her in here far too often; it would be a pity if you were to follow in her footsteps."

"It would help ground her if she had something to eat when she woke up." Madam Pomfrey gripped at Remus's shoulder at the suggestion, but it was James who spoke.

"I'll get her some food. You ought to be here when she wakes up, Remus." James patted his friend on the shoulder before walking to the edge of the cubicle. "What does she like?"

"Uh… get her some sugary foods for energy and anything with protein. She hasn't eaten lunch." James nodded and left, and Remus sat down beside his girlfriend, who was rambling on and on to herself. Taking her hand in his, he stroked her unresponsive fingers and murmured to her, "You're so tiny, Eve. I should've made you eat something sooner. I'm so sorry; this shouldn't have happened to you."

Eve suddenly cried out and arched her back up, holding her body tensely in the position before relaxing onto the cot.

Sirius whistled low at the sight and jested shamelessly, "Woah… You're one lucky bloke, Moony." Lily rolled her eyes and smacked him lightly on the shoulder.

"Knock it off," Remus muttered before Eve gasped once more and her eyes returned to their normal gray color and she fluttered her eyelashes.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" Remus exclaimed, patting at her forehead with the damp washcloth. "Are you alright? How do you feel?" He asked her as he tossed the cloth aside and gathered her up into his embrace. She shoved him away, and reached down beneath the cot to retrieve a bucket. The pale girl pulled it onto her lap and bent over it, vomiting up what little she had left in her stomach from the last meal she'd eaten.

Sirius grimaced and Lily patted Eve lightly on the shoulder. Remus briefly pondered how she could _still_ have food left to throw up before gathering her thick mane of hair into his hand to keep it from getting in her way and pressing the washcloth onto the back of her neck, murmuring encouragingly into her ear.

"It's okay, Evie, I'm right here. It'll all be over soon, I promise." He kissed her ear lightly before lowering the cloth and caressing her back.

After Eve produced her final heave, she slumped back onto the bed and shivered, panting heavily. Madam Pomfrey took the bucket from the weak witch while Remus pulled the blanket up under her arms and asked her, "Do you feel better now?"

She nodded and whispered faintly, "A little."

Madam Pomfrey smiled down at the witch and gently told her and Remus, "If you need me, I will be in my office." With that, she took her leave, just as James entered.

"Here you are." He set the plate of food and goblet down on the bedside table next to Eve's cot. "Welcome back, Eve." He took his place at Lily's side, but she shook her head and gestured at Marauders to show that they should leave Eve and Remus alone.

Pecking Lily's temple, James told Remus gently, "We'll give you two some time. If you need us," he winked, "just howl for us." He grinned before leading the rest of his friends out of the Hospital Wing.

Covering her face, Eve whimpered, "I'm so sorry; we were having such a lovely Christmas, and I ruined it."

"Oh, now, don't say that; we _are_ having a lovely Christmas," Remus assured her, moving to sit beside her on the bed.

"No. No, these… these visions won't leave me alone. I don't _mind_ visions, but when they do _this_ to me… when they do this to _us_…"

"That… That was a _vision?_" Remus asked in shock.

Eve sniffled and nodded. When she released a sob, her boyfriend hurriedly comforted her in his embrace, quieting her and stroking her back.

"What… What did you see?" He asked hesitantly. He was uncertain if he really wanted to know what was to come in the future if it had anything to do with Eve pleading for him not to leave.

He heard her whimper and felt her shake her head against his chest. She sniffled a few times and, clutching into his shirt for support with her nimble fingers, she tilted her red, watery gaze up at him and asked, "Do you fancy me?"

Remus felt shock seize his thought process for an instant. She actually asked him that? She actually _had_ to ask him that? He obviously wasn't doing a very good job at being her beau if she had to ask him what his feelings toward her were.

Cradling her lovely face in his hands, Remus swallowed the lump that had quickly formed in his throat and told her firmly, "Yes, I fancy you. Hell, Eve, I bloody _adore_ you! How could you say at thing like that?"

Eve's tear-ridden eyelashes fluttered then and she asked, hopes enlightened, "R-Really?"

Remus pressed and held a caring kiss to her forehead and reiterated, "Absolutely. How could I not?"

The witch happily pressed her lips to his to show her appreciation. _I'll have to be sure to try extra hard this week to get him to stay with me._

She nuzzled into him and swallowed hard. "Remember how I told you the night before last that being affectionate with a werewolf can make me become exceptionally sensitive to psychic tendencies?" When she felt Remus nod, she replied, "Well…"

"So… You mean we can't…?"

"No! That's not what I meant! I meant that… that we'll have to be a little more careful in the future until I'm not a beginner psychic anymore, that's all. Besides, I'd sort of like to experiment with what will and will not invoke a vision." Eve burrowed her head harder into his chest before shyly admitting, "I… I couldn't give up your kisses, anyway, Remus."

Remus chuckled at that before rubbing Eve's shoulder. "Then don't cry, Evie; there's nothing to cry about."

"But I ruined our day!"

"How ruined could our day be if we're with each other, snuggling?" He pointed out.

Eve paused for a moment. Well, he certainly had a point! How was it he always had the insight to look at such a bad situation in a positive light? She tilted her head upward and smiled widely up at him. "I adore you, you know that?"

"For what?"

"For always knowing what to say to make me feel better," she told him as she kissed him once beneath his jawline.

Remus chuckled, and Eve savored the feel of the low rumbling sound reverberating through his chest to her ear before he reached over to the plate of food and insisted, "And now for something to eat…"

"After all that vomiting, I really don't want to," she protested, but Remus would have none of it.

"I want you to eat at least half of this sandwich and drink the juice from the goblet, alright, Evie?" He coaxed, holding up the sandwich for her to try.

"Remus…"

"Eve, I'm serious; you fainted because your stomach was empty. Eat."

"Funny, you don't look like Sirius."

"_Eat._"

"Fine… Dad," Eve said with a playful wink before taking slow, tiny bites from the sandwich he handed her. When she was finished, he helped her drink from the goblet.

She yawned loudly then and stretched like a feline before relaxing back into him.

"And now I want you to sleep," Remus told her after reading her sleepy body language.

"Mm, no, I've kept you here long enough. Let's do something fun-"

Remus held Eve back from sitting up and said, "No; we'll have a fun day tomorrow at Hogsmeade. You need to rest."

Eve gazed up at Remus dreamily. "You… You want me to go to Hogsmeade with you?"

Remus blushed slightly and said, "Well, I think it would be fun if we went together… but that's only if you want to, of course."

Eve kissed his cheek and assured him, "I'd love to!"

"Great!" He inwardly sighed with relief that she was interested in their date the next day. After his mind had finished wandering to what he hoped their date would be like tomorrow, he straightened up a bit and offered, "Would you… like me to sit in the chair while you sleep?"

Eve's face turned bright red as she fiddled with the covers and said, "Um… Well, if you're alright with it… I was… th-thinking that m-maybe you could… rest with… me? You-You'd have to stay on top of the covers, of course, but… w-would you mind?"

Remus gently smiled down at his blushing girlfriend. "Alright."

He shifted so their bodies were positioned more comfortably against one another before Eve felt her nerves get the better of her that Madam Pomfrey or someone else might walk in and find them like this and she suggested, "Uh-um… Maybe… this might be… too forward…"

Remus immediately hopped off the cot and nodded his head vigorously, not wanting to upset Eve. "Of course, of course!"

"I'm sorry." Eve's eyebrows arched upward as she rolled over to lie on her side and face him.

"No, no; not at all! I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Eve." Remus pecked her cheek once before drawing the chair closer to her cot. Taking her hand, he pecked each knuckle to make her feel better, causing her full lips to curve upward into a sleepy smile.

Squeezing his hand lightly, she attempted to fall asleep like Remus wanted her to. Only trouble was was that she had been so comfortable in his arms that his moving off the cot caused her to be jarred from that position and her happy place. She tossed and turned, rolling this way and that, and even flipped her pillow over, but nothing worked.

Finally, she sighed and opened her eyes to find Remus gazing down at her with an eyebrow arched up. "Is this… always how you go to sleep?" He teased with a grin.

Through a smirk, she blew a curl out of her face and softly said, "No. I was more comfortable resting with you than I am now." Fiddling with the corner of the pillow, Eve proposed, "Would you… mind if I asked you to come back up here with me?"

"Are you sure?" He asked concernedly. "I-I don't want you to feel pressured-"

"I don't, don't worry," Eve assured him with a kiss to his wrist. "I-I want this. I-I mean… again, I don't want you under the covers with me… and I don't want you to lie down with me… I-I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be if… I-I mean, it doesn't seem very proper for us to… A-And we haven't been courting for a terribly long time… unless you count our unofficial courting… But it still isn't so long that we should l-l-lie in bed together; I mean even if we don't… which I should say won't be for quite some time, and…" Remus chuckled amusedly at her and Eve pressed her hand to her nose in embarrassment and apologized, "Oh, I'm sorry, I… I'm babbling, aren't I?"

"No apology needed; I think you're downright adorable when you babble," Remus told her as he pecked the tip of her nose.

"But… do you understand what I mean?" Eve inquired as Remus sat on the edge of the cot and removed his shoes.

"Of course." Remus sat up, as was decided, and held out his arms to her. "You don't want me to lie with you, you want me to hold you. It seems like a simple enough idea to me." As she slid into his embrace, he vowed, "I promise, nothing forward will happen."

"I know," Eve quietly told him on a sigh as she snuggled into his chest. "I trust you."

Remus kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back as she drifted off to sleep. "When you wake up, you'll feel better. And then, when tomorrow comes, we'll have another great day together, you'll see."

**Author's Note:** Alright, kudos to those who figured out that Eve was having a vision! _Questions to the readers_: What do you think of the vision? What do you think will happen the next day at Hogsmeade? What do you think of this chapter? Please leave the answer to these questions along with your opinions of the story in a **review!**


	38. Trial Week: Day Three: Hogsmeade

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Once again, I'd like to take the time to thank all those who review!

This fanfiction has over twenty-five thousand hits! Thank you, everyone!

**Publish Date:** Tuesday, November 25, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Trial Week: Day Three: Hogsmeade: Part One

Eve rolled over in bed with a yawn as a stream of sunshine lured her from her sleep. Hugging Woofie to herself, she smiled sleepily as she recalled the perfect ending to what she had thought had been a ruined Christmas.

_Eve stretched the sleep from her limbs and fluttered her eyelashes before she felt a low rumbling vibrate through her cheek._

"_I see my Eve has finally awakened," Remus playfully murmured into her ear as he caressed her shoulder once. "How did you sleep? How do you feel?"_

"_Marvelously and warm," Eve replied with a small grin as she hugged Remus from where she lay. "I… hope I didn't become too heavy for you to hold?"_

"_Pfft, not at all!" Remus said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I actually… _liked_ holding you and watching you sleep." She turned her face to gaze up at him intently and, gazing into her bright eyes, he continued, "You're adorable when you sleep; you do this thing with your nose… you just sort of…" He made a show of twitching his nose before continuing, "wriggle it in your sleep… like a rabbit." She covered her nose and giggled until he stroked a finger down her it from bridge to tip._

_Leaning down, he pecked the very tip of her nose and inquired, "Do you feel well enough to walk back to the common room?"_

"_I… Yeah, I think so," Eve said, carefully sitting up as Remus gathered her sweater from where he'd placed it before._

"_Here; I… I had to pull it off before to make sure you could breathe."_

"_I understand; trust me, I know the fainting procedures," she said with a wink before taking her sweater from her beau and pulling it on over her head, suddenly feeling very bare with just her camisole and skirt on._

"_Oh, and Madam Pomfrey left these here for you," Remus gestured to a tray-full of vials with a bluish liquid in them. _

"_Ah, I see; I'll be taking these for a while," Eve said with a sigh at the new chore she'd have to remember to complete._

"_What, exactly, are they for?"_

"_Just to make sure that I don't fall into a fainting spell, or something, and to make sure that I get healthy," Eve began as she ran a hand through her hair with a sigh. "Ugh… my hair…"_

"_What about it?"_

"_I'll bet it looks… _ugh!_"_

"_Actually…" Remus began while eying Eve's bed head hair, "it looks… quite attractive on you." Her curls were standing at an array of angles around her head, but there was something… something exceptionally alluring about it to Remus. For the moment, she looked wild and untamed…_

"_You're so silly!" Eve exclaimed with a roll of her eyes as she pulled the lopsided barrette from her hair and fixed it so it held her curls back and away from her face once more. "Odd, but silly," she teased with a giggle. "Just what I fancy about you." She smooched his cheek once before moving to slide carefully from the cot and gather the vials of potion._

_Remus wrapped an arm around her waist to support her as they slowly made their way to the Great Hall. "Tell me if you feel lightheaded, alright?" He spoke firmly after he insisted that she grab some food for the trip back up to the common room._

"_Alright." Eve replied as she nibbled on a wrap. "I feel fine, Remus; I'm just… still not very hungry."_

"_I still want you to finish that wrap, though," Remus told her with a smooch to her temple as they climbed through the portrait into the common room._

"_Oh, bugger!" Eve exclaimed in frustration, coming to a halt in the tunnel behind the fat lady._

"_What is it?"_

"_I had wanted to go to the owlry to send an owl to my family so that I could tell them that I would send their Christmas gifts tomorrow. I like to purchase their gifts when we go to Hogsmeade."_

"_Oh, well, you could use my owl, if you'd like," Remus offered as he began walking with her again._

"_Really? Would you mind?"_

"_Of course not!" He assured her as they came to the steps that led up to the boys' dormitory._

"_Thank you!" Eve said as she hugged him once before he led her to the aged, lusterless cage where he kept his owl._

"_Come along, Maiara." Remus gently coaxed the black owl from her cage. The bird shivered, then climbed onto his hand with a hoot._

"_Oh, what a pretty bird you are," Eve cooed lightly at it as she extended a hand. Maiara hooted loudly and Remus chuckled._

"_Flattery will get you everywhere with her."_

"_Ah, then you and Arcana have a lot in common," Eve told Maiara sweetly as she stroked her iridescent feathers. Pulling out the letter she had written to her family earlier that day she took Maiara to the window and asked, "Could you take this to my family?"_

_Eve opened the window as Maiara shuddered and hooted once more before grasping the parchment in her beak and taking off, flapping her way through the starry night._

_A wave of dizziness overcame Eve then, and she slumped against the windowsill._

"_Are you alright?" Remus crossed the floor to her and helped her stand upright._

_Eve said nothing, and reached into her pocket to pull out a tube of the potion Madam Pomfrey had made her. Uncorking it, she downed it in one gulp, grimaced against the rancid taste, and sighed. "Nah, I'm fine; promise. Just a side-effect. That's why Madam Pomfrey gave me the potion to drink." Remus still seemed worried, so she caressed his cheek and told him even more firmly, "Trust me, I'm fine. I only got a tad dizzy; it wasn't like I was going to faint again."_

_After a moment, she kissed him and said, "I'll go to sleep now. It's getting late, anyway."_

"_Alright; off you go." He pecked her forehead and watched her walk out after they exchanged 'Good night's._

Eve grinned to herself contentedly before rolling out of bed and readying herself for her date with Remus at Hogsmeade. After making her bed and following her bathroom routine, she donned a blue sweater, a hat, a scarf, gloves, snug jeans, and a pair of black winter boots.

After she'd applied her make-up and brushed her hair, she went digging through the wooden chest at the foot of her bed for a jacket before impishly thinking, _Why would I wear one of my own jackets when I could wear one of Remus's?_

The thought put a broad smirk on her face and she raced down the stairs into the common room, hoping to find Remus waiting for her. To her mild disappointment, he wasn't, so she sighed and paced the perimeter of the room.

As she was strolling past the windowsills, a long, narrow, black velvet box with a gold bow caught her eye.

"Hmm… What's this?" Eve muttered to herself as she flipped the tag over and read: 'To Eve. Happy Christmas! I look forward to a new year full of new opportunities and a fresh beginning with you! Yours, Vlad.'

Eve's lower lip worried between her top and bottom rows of teeth. _I suppose that's his way of apologizing… Well, at least he's trying…_

She did her best to suppress a curious smile as she took the box in her hands and opened it on its hinge. She gasped when she found, lying on a bed of black velvet, a silver necklace with a rose for a pendant. The stem and leaves were sterling silver, and the blossom was carved from ruby.

"Oh!" Eve gasped, covering her mouth with her hand as she gazed in awe at the stunning jewelry as it glistened in the light of the rising sun.

Remus descended the stairs silently, looking forward to spending the day with Eve, when he found her gaping at a particularly nice and expensive-looking necklace. He stopped in his tracks as he heard her breathe, "_Vlad!_" and felt envy cloud his mind.

_Of course, the one who doesn't even treat her right is the one with money enough to show her how he feels_, he thought angrily to himself, cracking his knuckles to help relieve a portion of the frustration he felt.

The popping sound alerted Eve to Remus's presence, and she slowly turned to gaze at him over her shoulder. Swallowing, she lowered the hand that held the necklace.

"What's that you've got there, Evie?" Remus inquired through gritted teeth. "A belated Christmas present from… a friend?"

"Uh… I-I must not have spotted it last night when we came in… And, uh, I-I'm not accepting the gift, so…" She quickly dropped it back into the box and shut it before rising to stand before her beau.

"Why not? It seems like _such_ a _lovely_ gift," Remus pressed, just to see how Eve would react.

"It is; it's quite thoughtful, but… it just…" Eve crossed her arms and looked away with a sigh, "it doesn't seem like the proper thing to do…" Off Remus's faux confused expression, she elaborated, "It doesn't seem like the proper thing to do… because Vlad gave it to me…"

Remus inwardly sighed with relief at the confession. It truly meant a lot to him that she was so open to him as her boyfriend.

"Thank you, Eve." Remus slid his arms around her waist and held her for a moment before kissing her forehead. "I appreciate your dedication to our relationship."

Eve gave a small, shy smile before modestly insisting, "It's nothing; I don't see how I _couldn't_ be dedicated to you."

Remus smiled down at her before Eve pecked his chin. A moment later, he furrowed his eyebrows and inquired, "Say… where do you live, Eve?"

"Why?"

"Because Maiara hasn't returned yet, and it's worrying me."

"Oh… Oh! I'm sorry! You know I'm muggle-born, right? Well, my sister, Dawn, has quite taken with the magical world and likes to keep the owls I send her for a little while to play with before she sends them back. I promise, she's extremely gentle; she just likes to pet the owls and talk to them, you see. You don't need your owl back immediately, do you?" Eve asked hastily.

"No, no, I just wanted to make sure Maiara was alright. It's never taken this long for her to fly out and return before; I thought she would've been back last night. Dawn can play with her all she likes; Maiara isn't one to bite." Remus paused before asking, "How old is your sister, anyway?"

"Ten. Why do you ask?"

After a moment's hesitation, Remus began, "Well…if it's a tender subject, you don't need to answer, but… is she magical, herself? Will she be attending Hogwarts next year?"

Eve's eyebrows furrowed as she thought hard. "I… I'm not sure if she's been showing any signs of magic… She might've been… but that could've been me, too… so I'm not sure…" A delighted twinkle lit up her eyes and she exclaimed with barely-concealed cheer, "Oh, I'd _love_ it if she were a witch, too!"

Remus chuckled and squeezed her lightly, "I'm sure you would. But even if she doesn't turn out to be a witch, I'm sure she'll still be as great of a person as you make her sound." Eve chuckled and snuggled her forehead into his chest contentedly as Remus caressed her back, finally realizing something. "Eve! Why don't you ever wear a jacket whenever we go out?"

Eve giggled into his cloak and, gazing up at Remus playfully, replied, "Because I like wearing yours more!"

"Well, _that's_ becoming apparent!" Remus chuckled as he pecked the top of her head and she pulled away to walk to the fire and warm her hands by it.

He was on the verge of summoning a jacket of his when his eyes traveled down her back and discovered that his girlfriend actually had a bum.

_Woah, where did_ that _come from?_ He thought to himself as he watched her bend by the fire.

Licking his lower lip while mentally cursing the oversized uniforms the students were forced to wear, he held up his hand and said, "Accio… _short_ jacket." What? He happened to be quite attracted to Eve's figure, though he tried to keep this mostly to himself for fear of getting hexed.

A jacket that would only fall to Eve's hips flew into Remus's hands and he draped it around her shoulders from behind, his eyes on her bottom all the while.

"Aw, thanks, Remus," Eve said, standing straight and smooching his cheek. Pulling a bit of parchment- her signed permission slip- from her back pocket, she asked, "Ready to go?"

Remus smiled and dipped his hand into his pocket to be certain he had his permission slip with him. "Yup. We just need to wait for-"

"The fun has officially arrived!" Sirius exclaimed as he led the other two Marauders down the steps. He stopped at the bottom of the staircase and clutched his heart with a feigned look of tenderness on his face. "Oh, would you look at that, mates?" James and Peter adopted his expression as they caught onto his game. "You two," Sirius continued as he closed the gap between himself and the couple and playfully pinched Remus's cheek, "are so bloody adorable together!" Remus swatted Sirius's hand away while Eve giggled and blushed.

"C'mon;I told-" Sirius began, but was interrupted by his best mate.

"Wait, Lily isn't here yet!" James pointed out.

"I'm coming!" Lily called from the top of the steps as she slowly descended, yawning and stretching. With a pout, she harrumphed, "It's too early to be up; I'm sleepy."

"Oh, poor thing," James teased with a peck to her temple. "If I buy you something nice at Hogsmeade, will that wake you up?"

A tiny grin sprouted on Lily's lips as she heard this. "Maybe."

He chuckled before wrapping an arm around her and leading her toward the portrait after Sirius and Remus and Eve. After they exited through the hole, they found Anna waiting there.

"Anna!" Eve squealed as she bounded over to her friend and hugged her tight. "Happy Christmas! What's new? Oh, it's been a while since we've spoken!"

"Well…" Anna said with a secretive and knowing grin as Sirius walked toward her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and smooched her cheek. Giggling, she played with the collar of his shirt and continued, "Sirius and I are back together again."

"Oh, that's great, Anna!" Eve congratulated. "Remus and I are, as well." Eve reached back and Remus took her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

"Yes, I heard!" Anna happily replied, clasping her friend's free hand. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Could we continue this little reunion on our way to Hogsmeade?" Sirius proposed.

"I'll catch up with you; I want to find Olympe first," Peter spoke up before walking in the opposite direction with a wave to the group.

"Whoo! Go get 'er, Pete!" James whooped after him, earning a light smack to the chest from Lily.

"Don't be so rude; I think it's sweet that he's finally found someone," the redhead scolded.

"Oh, I'm only playing, Lily," James promised as he rubbed her shoulder.

"Well, let's _go_, then!" Sirius urged impatiently, leading the group down the stairs and out of Hogwarts to meet up with the rest of the students that were going on the trip.

After turning in their signed permission slips, the six walked with the rest of the group toward Hogsmeade; the three girls chattering together with their beaus following after them.

Sirius let out a low whistle as he eyed Anna from behind and whispered to his two mates, "Bloody uniforms; they ought to ban them!"

"You have _got_ to love a girl in her own clothes," James agreed in a low voice as he ogled Lily.

"Merlin, do I hear that!" Remus concurred with his friends.

"Wait… What was that?" Sirius inquired in dramatic tones. "Prongs… I think we've corrupted our innocent Moony!"

"Oh, guys- C'mon!" Remus nudged Sirius jokingly.

"Ooh, we're here!" Lily exclaimed with delight as they entered Hogsmeade Village.

Eve bounced up and down and clapped her hands as Anna grinned up at her.

"Someone's excited," the blonde commented to her best friend.

"Are you joking? You _know_ how much I love Hogsmeade!" Eve squeaked. Remus smiled at his girlfriend's obvious joy before she grabbed his hand and rushed forward. "Where do you want to go first, Remus?"

"You pick, Eve. I just need to stop by Honeyduke's and Zonko's at some point today to restock on chocolate and pranks," he told her with a wink.

Giggling, Eve said, "Sounds good to me! I vote for going to Honeyduke's first; my sweet tooth beckons me." Eve smiled and squeezed Remus's hand, pulling him toward the candy store.

She opened the door to reveal shelves upon shelves, rows upon rows, and aisles upon aisles of all assortments of candy- normal and enchanted- and chocolate that one could imagine. Eve watched as the younger students crowded the popular shop, and even turned to mouth to Remus, 'Aren't they adorable?' He smiled sweetly and nodded in return.

"Alright, go nuts; this is my treat," Eve offered, plucking up a new product Honeyduke's was selling.

"Are you sure, Eve? I could just as easily pay," Remus assured her, not wanting to impose.

"Absolutely; I offered, didn't I?" She pointed out as she read the little bottle to learn more about the item:

_**Honeyduke's All-New Chocolate-Flavored Lipgloss!**_

_Give your sweetie an even sweeter surprise when you smooch him with_

_lipgloss that tastes just like Honeyduke's famous chocolate!_

"Ooh…" Eve thought mischievously to herself as she discreetly pulled a few bottles into her hand; she'd definitely have to give him a pleasant holiday surprise later on!

"Let's look over here," she offered as enchanted treats caught her eye. "Dawn _loves_ magical candy, seeing as my family can't get it very often, so it's quite a treat to her."

"Oh, I see." Remus was a smidge distracted looking through the chocolate.

After gathering a few gummy snakes that hissed and slithered like real snakes, a couple boxes of candies that changed the consumer's eye color, and bags of every flavored jellybeans, Eve glanced over to find Remus practically in a trance gazing at the wall full of chocolate bars of every style imaginable.

Feeling slightly neglected and lacking in attention, Eve pouted and shimmied her shoulders once. "Oh, Remus, you've found another woman!" She pressed her hand against her forehead and gave a dramatic sob as Remus whipped his head around, wide-eyed.

"What? No, I haven't! I'd never… I couldn't… Evie, you're the only one I…" Remus stuttered, breaking free from the spell the chocolate seemed to weave over him. Now he was floundering to find a way to explain this rather random accusation; sometimes, chocolate was just the easy route to take in life…

"And her name… is Chocolate." Eve finished with a grin, turning to face him.

Remus gave a goofy smirk in return. "Ah, yes. Chocolate; my first love." He gazed up at the wall of chocolate bars before looking back to her and running his hand gently down her arm and lacing fingers with her. "However, it is not the _only_ object of my affection."

This statement coupled with the soft gaze he fixed her with made Eve bow her head and blush pink. "Besides," Remus continued as he slid his fingertips beneath her chin and tilted it up, "chocolate doesn't have what you have." He plucked a bar of chocolate up and ran his finger around the perimeter. "Chocolate is flat and straight. I happen to like having someone to hug and snuggle with who actually feels feminine." To further his point, he wrapped his arms around her and slid his hands down her curvy sides. "So, you have nothing to worry about; chocolate, although my first love, is no match for you."

They shared a grin before Eve chuckled. "Well, good; I'm glad you prefer to have me around rather than chocolate. Have you picked out what you want so I can pay for it all? I have a bit of a surprise for you." She smiled secretively, recalling the chocolate-flavored lipgloss she had decided to purchase.

"A surprise? For me? You're too kind; I can scarcely wait to see what it is," Remus thanked her with a smooch to her cheek. He quickly selected a dark chocolate bar, a milk chocolate bar, and a bar that was a mix of peanut butter and chocolate, and handed them to Eve. "You'll have to help me eat them, of course," he said with a wink.

"Well, I couldn't say no to helping my boyfriend out, could I?" Eve flirted as she walked to the cashier.

Once they had purchased their treats, Eve grabbed Remus's hand and pulled him out of the store. "Come on!"

"Where are you taking me?" Remus laughed as he stumbled after her.

"Someplace private," Eve said in a quiet tone.

Arching an intrigued eyebrow as they stomped through the snow some distance away from the village to a place amongst the trees that hid them from view, Remus thought to himself, _I have a feeling I'm really going to like this surprise._

"Okay; this looks like a good spot," Eve said as she released Remus's hand. "Shut your eyes," she instructed as she dug through her pockets for a tube of the lipgloss she just bought.

Remus obeyed, and Eve quickly applied the clear gloss to her lips. Her tongue darted out to test the taste, and found, to her immense pleasure, that it tasted just like melted Honeyduke's chocolate.

After drawing a breath in, Eve slowly leaned in and tenderly pressed her mouth to his. Remus chuckled and kissed back, bringing his hand up to the back of her head to deepen the kiss… and then he tasted the chocolate.

"Mm! _Mm!_" He exclaimed into their kiss before breaking away to gaze curiously at Eve.

Eve, pleased with her boyfriend's response, silently pulled out her lipgloss for him to read.

He grinned broadly at the label on the lipgloss before bringing Eve to him and inquiring, "How 'bout another kiss?"

**Author's Note:** Please don't forget to read and **review**! I'd love to hear what everyone's thoughts on this chapter are! Thanks!


	39. Trial Week: Day Three: Part Two

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry that I haven't been able to update as often as I would like to. Life has been busy, but, hopefully for the next few weeks at least, I should be able to update regularly.

Over twenty-seven thousand hits! Yay!

I'd just like to take the time to thank everyone who continues to review this fanfiction and let me know what they think about it. I'm even more thankful now because, as December twenty-third draws closer, I am reminded that it has been almost a year since the first chapter of this fanfiction was posted. To those who have read and reviewed this fanfiction since the beginning and to those who have joined while it's been updating, I'd like to say thank you all very, very much! Your support of this fanfiction has been phenomenal, and I'm excited to continue writing into the New Year. Enjoy!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, December 21, 2008.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Trial Week: Day Three: Part Two

"Please? _One_ more kiss, and _then_ we'll go back to the shops," Remus pleaded as Eve dragged him by the arm back into the magical village.

"For the last time, no; you must've had almost a dozen kisses already, Remus. You're going to get tired of my kisses if I keep giving them to you," Eve insisted with a small grin.

"Never," he vowed, finally ceasing in his playful resistance of her pulling him along. "I don't see how I could; you give the perfect kisses."

Eve slowed in her persistent walking, glowing at the compliment. "Aw… You're just buttering me up."

Raising Eve's hand to his lips, the wizard replied, "Is it working?"

As he pecked her knuckles, she replied behind a coy grin, "Maybe a-a little."

"Then you'll give me another kiss?" Remus inquired hopefully.

Catching onto this little game of his he always enjoyed playing with her- flattering her until she loosened up enough to do what he wanted- she decided that two could play this game; after all, she was courting a Marauder, and she definitely needed to fight mischief with mischief.

"Mm, alright, you've worn me down; I'll give you another kiss…" Eve slid her fingers beneath his collar as if she were going to pull him down for a smooch, and he leaned down to meet her lips. She arched her neck until her mouth was a breath away from his before finishing, "… Later."

She pulled back from their near-kiss and smirked impishly at him as his puckered mouth fell into an unsatisfied gape. "That's no fair!" Eve shrugged and grinned before walking toward Zonko's. "That's… That's so mean; I mean to leave your own boyfriend hanging like that!"

"I know," Eve replied simply as her grin widened and she stepped into the doorway. "My boyfriend's a Marauder, so I've learned _not_ to play fair." She giggled and entered the prank shop.

After standing in stunned silence for a moment longer, he followed her inside and, catching her hand, whispered to her sincerely, "I knew I fancied you for a reason."

Eve smiled widely enough then to form that tiny crinkle in her nose that made Remus's heart melt.

"Come; allow me to corrupt your wholesome mind with the ways of mischief and prankdom." The wizard wrapped an arm around the witch's shoulders as he pointed out all sorts of potions and merchandise that could be used to play any type of prank one could imagine.

After about a quarter of an hour, Remus had his mind wrapped around a scheme to play on his girlfriend. Okay, okay, so it was a tiny one; but, hey, this was his girlfriend, and he was certainly going to go easy on her!

Discreetly pulling a galleon from his pocket, he casted a temporary sticking charm on it before tossing it on the floor off to one side of Eve. She heard a metallic _clunk_ beside her and turned to find the coin sitting on the ground, practically begging her to pick it up. Setting the exploding lollipop she was holding down on the shelf before her, she bent at the waist to grab the galleon. She tugged once, but found that it wouldn't budge. Frowning in confusion , she moved to pull it up a second time. Eve adjusted her grip and made a third attempt, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, Remus stood with his head cocked to one side, quite enjoying the view her bum gave him as she tried and failed, tried and failed to pick up the money.

After a minute, he decided that it was high time for the prank to end, so he moved to stand before her. He placed his hands on his hips and tsked, "For shame, Eve; greed is not flattering on a girl."

Immediately standing upright, Eve blinked her gray eyes rapidly and complained, "But the stupid galleon won't come off the ground, and I'm starting to think that this is just a prank Zonko's plays on its customers!"

Chuckling, Remus wordlessly drew his wand from his robes and took the charm off the galleon. When he bent to retrieve his money, Eve gaped at him and tried to grab for the coin. "No! I worked hard to get that coin; it's rightfully mine!" She playfully exclaimed. "You… You… You _Marauder!_"

He laughed as he held the coin high above her head, making her jump and unsuccessfully reach for the coin. Once she finally quit and stood before him, arms folded across her chest in a mock hurt stance and a pout plumping her lips, he lowered the coin so it was eyelevel with her and said, "My poor little Eve… You can have it… _if_ you give me something in return." He wriggled his eyebrows once and purposely dropped his gaze to her lips.

Eve nervously glanced around the shop and noticed the other witches and wizards were so busy conversing or selecting merchandise to buy that no one was looking in their direction. With this in mind, she granted Remus a quick kiss and snatched the coin from his hand.

The poor wizard, who had been craving more chocolatey kisses ever since Eve first smooched him with her flavored lip gloss, was expecting more than just a simple peck, and kept his lips in a pucker for a few moments after Eve's mouth left his. When he finally opened his eyes and relaxed his mouth, he found Eve grinning up at him.

"You make the most serene face when you kiss; did you know that?" She sighed delicately and told him, "It's _sooo_ adorable!"

Remus harrumphed and, with a pout, grumped, "I'm not 'adorable'; I'm manly."

"And _I'm_ not 'little'," Eve comebacked while playfully chucking the coin at his chest. He put his hands out and caught it before sliding it back into his pocket.

"Well, you're little to me," Remus replied with a sheepish smirk.

Shrugging, Eve settled, "Fine; then you're adorable to me."

Her beau mumbled an incoherent reply before taking her hand and walking with her to purchase the pranks he'd selected.

"Say… none-none of these are going to be used on _me_, are they?" Eve inquired suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.

"Perhaps, perhaps not; after all, the number one rule of pranking is that the element of surprise is crucial." Remus winked at her as he dropped a few coins on the counter, picked up his bag, and walked out of the store with Eve.

"Where to next, Evie?" Remus inquired as they walked hand-in-hand with one another.

Gathering her lips to one side of her face in thought, Eve replied, "Hmm… Ooh, I want to go into that jewelry shop over there; Charming Charms."

Behind her back, Remus grimaced. As much as he liked spending time with his girlfriend, he was still a guy, and, as a guy, he didn't exactly enjoy standing awkwardly in the corner while she browsed through and tried on endless amounts of jewelry. Remus sighed. _Well, she _did_ go to the stores _I_ wanted to go to first, so I may as well be polite and go in with her._

Eve practically bounced through the snow toward Charming Charms and, after stomping her boots to get the snow off them, rushed to the first display box to press her nose to it in awe.

"They're so… _beautiful_, aren't they, Remus?" Eve breathed as she found necklaces with pendants shaped like delicate fairies or beautiful mermaids or majestic dragons encrusted with all types of jewels.

Remus gave a small smile, but, in all honesty, he wasn't as interested in the jewelry as he was in the astonished look on the witch's face. At that moment, he would've given anything to have enough money to buy just one of these pieces to keep that bright smile glowing.

"Yeah," he agreed, though he was certain he didn't know the first thing about jewelry. When Eve moved to another display box, he shoved his hands inside his coat pockets and asked softly, "So, er… why _are_ you so squeamish about affection in public?" She threw him a startled look, but he assured her, "I don't have a problem with it, but… you even looked uncomfortable back in Zonko's. I mean, I guess I could understand more if there were tongue involved, but that had to have broken the record for quickest kiss, Eve." He did his best to jest so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable, but she fluttered her eyes and sighed.

"See… When I was courting Vlad… we got kind of…" Her face faded to pink, and she pressed her gloved hands to her cheeks and said, "Merlin, I don't know why you want to hear this-"

"I always want to hear everything that's on your mind, Eve," Remus told her, holding her gaze with his.

Drawing in a deep breath for courage, she confessed, "We… Vlad and I… got kind of… caught up in the heat of the moment once… We were in the library together because I was looking for a book… well, obviously if I'm in the library, I'm looking for a book…" Eve waved a dismissive hand. "Anyway, we got to talking since he saw other books he recognized and he was… he was talking about them, and…" She gave a small chuckle at that moment as she reminisced the scene she was describing to Remus. "Intelligence has always been… has always been a _thing_ for me."

"A… _thing_?" Remus asked, arching a brow.

"Yeah, you know…" Eve dropped her voice as if she were telling him a secret, "A turn on."

"Well, duh, why else would you be courting a bloke like me?" Remus teased with a grin as he elbowed her.

"Hm, I dunno; because the charm, the wit, the humor, the sweetness, the handsomeness, and the cuddliness that are you wouldn't have anything to do with it," Eve playfully replied.

"Did you just call me 'cuddly'?"

"_Anyway_, we sort of got to… er… snogging…" Eve watched as Remus's jaw muscle tightened at the thought of Vladimir ever doing such at thing with _his_ Eve. "And… Madam Pince caught us, thus making me feel embarrassed and ashamed of myself for ever doing such a thing in a public place and making me uncomfortable with doing it again."

Remus's mouth formed a small 'O' and Eve pressed her lips tightly together and bobbed her head. They were silent for a moment before he inquired again, "But, seriously, though, did you just call me 'cuddly'? Is that, like, a nice way of saying that I need to lose some weight?"

Eve giggled. "_No_, silly! If either of us needs to lose weight in this relationship, it's _me_- Whoo!" Remus quickly bent down and scooped the witch up over his shoulder, walking around the store with her like this.

"Hmm… I don't sense any weight that needs to be lost." Remus grinned as she squirmed around and demanded that he put her down.

"Remus! You're going to break your back if you keep this up! Set me down!" Eve insisted as she giggled. She was mentally willing him to take his time; after all it was nice being carried around!

"I'll _only_ put you down again ifyou say, 'I, Eve Pankhart, am the most beautiful creature to ever grace this earth, don't need to lose the tiniest bit of weight, and have the most amazing boyfriend in the whole world.'"

Eve giggled at the line, and refused at first to respond but, realizing he wasn't joking, finally said, "Fine; 'I, Eve Pankhart, am the most beautiful creature to ever grace this earth, don't need to lose the tiniest bit of weight, and have the most amazing boyfriend in the whole world.' Happy now?"

"Very." Remus gently set her back on the floor and told her, "Now you can never be shy about your appearance or start ranting about how you need to lose weight ever again."

Eve merely crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at Remus before she saw that there was a section of the store behind him marked 'For Him' in bold letters. Her face brightened up- she'd been searching for a suitable belated Christmas gift to give to him since he'd only accepted her drawing- and she held up a hand and said, "Don't move," before rushing over to view neck chains made for wizards.

Remus furrowed his eyebrows, but didn't follow her, just like she told him.

_This one's got me wrapped around her bloody pinky_, Remus thought to himself with a small grin. _Not that I mind._

With a sigh, Remus idly meandered over to the jewelry cases Eve had been looking into and paused when he found one he'd especially taken to. Not that he was one for looking at women's jewelry for a hobby, mind; but this one necklace would be the perfect one to give to Eve as a present…

… if only he could afford it.

The chain itself was simple; gold, nothing fancy. The pendant, too, was gold, and was a locket shaped as a heart. It was bordered with flowers that had tiny rubies for petals and emeralds for leaves. There was a space in the middle of the pendant, and the sign beside it boasted that, for additional fees, a name could be magically carved into it, and a special someone's face could be engraved within the locket.

Sirius was trotting down the snowy road with Anna, telling her all sorts of jokes to make her giggle and praising her beauty to make her blush, when he saw his friend standing inside the shop gaping over jewelry.

_This is too good; I just have to tease him for this!_ Sirius excused himself for a moment, pressing several coins into Anna's hand, giving her a smooch, and telling her to go buy what her heart contented. She lingered outside the shop, counting the money he had given her and watching her fellow students pass by, waving at a few of her friends.

"Hey, there, Moons; I never knew you had an interest in women's jewelry. I think this one would look _divine_ on you," Sirius joked with a wink.

"Well, whatever makes me more attractive," Remus played along with a chuckle.

"You want to buy one of these for Eve, I take it?" Sirius inquired, wiping his lip with his thumb. He glanced at each item in the display case, trying to guess which one Remus wanted to buy for his girlfriend.

Remus nodded solemnly toward the necklace with the heart locket on it.

"Ah, I see; very nice, Moony." Without hesitating, he motioned for the woman behind the counter to come over and said, "Yes, my friend would like to purchase this necklace here."

"What?! Are you out of your bloody mind? I can't pay for this!" Remus exclaimed.

"But _I_ can," Sirius grinned. "And, he'd like the name 'Eve' engraved on the front."

"_WHAT?!_ Sirius, that just costs more money!" Remus said as he stuttered to the lady behind the counter not to bother with the necklace.

"_And_, he'd like his face engraved inside the locket, please," Sirius finished, reaching into his pocket as the woman pointed her wand at the front of the locket and magically carved 'Eve' onto the front. Next, the woman asked Remus to think of Eve- she figured that, since he was purchasing this for her, that she must be his girlfriend. This caught him off-guard, and he immediately smiled happily. The woman quickly aimed her wand at him, and a bright flash emitted from it, temporarily blinding the wizard. She directed her wand at the inside of the locket, and Remus's image was immediately etched within.

"Alright, all together, that will be two hundred galleons and forty knuts," she announced while folding the chain up inside a white box.

"TWO HUNDRED-?! Oh, no, ma'am, really; I'm sorry, my friend is… well, he's… he couldn't possibly pay for this-"

"I already engraved the name and put your face in it; it's as good as sold," the woman coldly told Remus with a smug smirk on her face.

"No problem! Here you are," Sirius said as he handed the woman the money.

Anna, who was still outside the shop, turned to see the woman hand Sirius the box with the necklace inside and beamed. _Sirius is getting a necklace for me? Aw, no wonder why he wanted to go inside by himself! I'll make him think it's a surprise, though; to Honeyduke's!_ She hurried off to the candy shop, giggling and practically skipping along the way.

"Here you are, mate." Sirius gave the box to a stunned Remus. "What?"

"I… can't believe you're doing this. Why? Why aren't you spending your money on yourself or Anna?"

"Because," Sirius began, lightly squeezing Remus's shoulder, "I know how much you fancy Eve. I know that you don't have that much money, and I know _you_. You want to spoil her a little because of how you feel; trust me, I understand."

"But… But you can't," Remus stared, dumbfounded, at the expensive necklace in his hand. "If you do this, I-I'll have to pay you back… You must let me."

"Absolutely not, Remus. We're the Marauders; we're brothers. We've got to look out for one another. I can't tell you how happy I am to finally see you with someone you like so much; don't let her get away. If I have to watch her fall back into the arms of that bloody Durmstrang, I'll hex myself into next century. Now, I don't want to hear another word about the necklace, or I'll hex _you_ into next century," Sirius light-heartedly said with a smile.

"I… I can't even… Thank you, mate, so much." Remus pulled his friend into a hug, and Sirius chuckled.

"No problem at all, mate. Just trying to help out," Sirius insisted as he embraced his friend in return. "I'd better get going; I'm keeping my girl waiting and you're keeping yours!" He playfully punched his friend in the shoulder before waving and calling over his shoulder, heading out the door, "See ya later, Moony!"

Remus remained rooted to the spot for a minute, staring and gaping down at the gift in his hand. He gazed down at the box until he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

Turning, he found Eve grinning up at him and bouncing on the balls of her feet happily. "I-I got something for you. You know, for belated Christmas," she shyly told him, holding something behind her back.

Remus's expressions softened. "Oh, Eve, really, you didn't have to."

"I wanted to," she insisted as she presented him with a small, forest green box.

Remus quickly hid his present for her in his pocket while he walked out of the store with her to open his gift. When he lifted the lid of the box, he found a white gold chain with a crescent moon on it engraved with the word 'Moony'.

"See? I-It's masculine, not adorable, and it goes with your nickname and the fact that you're a… a… you-know-what." She lowered her voice as she continued in her speaking. "I mean, I've never seen you wear a chain before, but… I-I thought it might look nice on you, if you're interested in giving it a shot… Oh! A-And I made sure that the chain was a little longer than normal so if you leave it on when you," she mouthed the word 'transform', "it'll be perfectly safe."

Remus watched as Eve wrung her hands nervously and realized just how much she was trying to put into their relationship. Everything she did was to please him in hopes of getting him to agree to stay with her longer than the trial week.

"I love it. Thank you," Remus assured her while pecking the top of her head. He gave her the box to hold while he tried to get it around his neck, fiddling with the clasp all the while.

"Merlin, how do you girls do this all the time? I can't figure out how this clasp works!"

Eve chuckled and moved to help him. When she finally closed the clasp around the chain, she turned him around and grinned in approval. "Ooh, I like. _Now_ I can do _this_." Eve lightly tugged at his chain until he was low enough for her to give him a peck on the cheek.

"Oh, great; now you have a leash on me," Remus teased with a wink. "And _I_ have something for _you_."

Eve gasped as he pulled out the box. "Oh, Remus; you've already given me so much, what with the drawing and the tarot cards!"

"I know, but I wanted to spoil you a little." The wizard smirked and handed her the box. "Here."

Eve threw an appreciative glance at Remus before opening the box with a gasp. "_Remus!_" She breathed, bringing her hand to her mouth. "Oh, it's _beautiful!_" She slid her fingers over her name on the heart, and carefully opened it up to find Remus's image smiling up at her. She laughed cheerfully and rose up on her tiptoes to hug him tightly. "It's lovely; thank you, Remus!" Pulling the necklace from the box, she turned her back on him, held up her hair, and asked, "Would you mind?"

Remus fumbled with the clasp for a minute, but eventually got it to lock in place, leaving a beaming Eve opening and closing the locket in delight. She quickly glanced around the street to make sure they could have a quick private moment. When she was assured that they could, she quickly applied a new layer of flavored lipgloss, holding a sly gaze with her beau all the while. Finishing in this task, she stood up on her tiptoes to bring her mouth to his, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep him in the kiss.

The wizard groaned, folding his arms about his girl's waist just before she pulled away with a small smile.

Smirking, he inquired, "Could I just have one more kiss?"

Playfully smacking his shoulder, she replied, "Oh, we're not starting this up again!" When he opened his mouth to protest, she pressed a finger to his lips and told him, "No means no. Now, come on we only have a little time left until we have to go back to Hogwarts."

"Alright, alright; where would you like to go now?"

Eve nibbled on her lower lip as she raked her eyes up along the Hogsmeade road they were on. When she spotted what was supposedly the most haunted building in all of England, she brightened and grabbed Remus's hand, breaking out in a run. She galloped with him past all the shops and a little ways beyond, where no one else was.

Remus chuckled at her sudden enthusiasm, and wondered briefly if it was due to a sale at one of the shops, but when they stopped before the Shrieking Shack, he lost his smile and tensed where he stood.

"The most haunted place in all of England," Eve spoke without looking back at Remus to see his uncomfortable expression. She placed her hand on a bare portion of the barbed wire that surrounded the rickety building and narrowed her eyes for a closer look. An adventurous spark glinted in her eye as she turned and said to Remus, "Wanna find a way inside?"

Remus looked down at Eve with a hint of sorrow. The Shack only reminded him of the short time he was allowed to have with his girlfriend before the full moon rose and ended their relationship.

"Remus?" She asked quietly, approaching him and taking his hand. "Are you alright? Are… Are you scared of the Shrieking Shack? I'm sure the spirits couldn't hurt us; we can walk right through the ones that haunt Hogwarts."

With a sigh, the wizard shook his head and pulled Eve to him so he was embracing her. "I'm not scared of the Shrieking Shack," he whispered into her ear. "I just don't enjoy being inside it."

Eve's eyebrows knitted together and she pulled back enough to murmur, "'Being inside it'? You… You've gone into the Shrieking Shack?"

Remus spun Eve around so she was facing the Shack, and he held her from behind to breathe into her ear, "That's where I go to transform each month. There's an underground tunnel that leads to it from beneath the Weeping Willow."

Eve gasped. "You have to transform in a haunted house?"

Eve felt her beau grip her a little tighter to him and shake his head beside hers. "It isn't haunted, Eve; we encourage the rumor so no one will get near it. I… _I'm_ the one who screams in there, not ghosts."

The witch swallowed back the lump that had formed in her throat. "You… _You're_ the one that makes so much noise in there?"

Eve heard Remus swallow before he confessed, "Yes."

The witch released a breath as she inwardly winced with the thought of the pain that must accompany him each month during his transformation. With a shudder, Eve gripped into Remus's sleeve and turned in his arms to face him. He gazed into her face, tinged pink with the nip of winter, and listened, awestruck, as she told him, "You don't deserve this… You… You deserve so much better, Remus; you're the last to deserve such a life."

Eve's eyes widened in shock when he replied with a sincere, "Am I?"

_He won't believe another word I say on the matter._ Eve thought to herself. _He'll just continue to be modest and deny everything I tell him_. This in mind, she reached up and hooked a finger around the chain she just bought him and gently pulled him down. Eye-to-eye with him, she told him firmly, "Most definitely," before folding her arms around his neck and melding her mouth to his.

Remus shut his eyes in bliss and allowed himself to feel warm from the inside out with the knowledge that someone cared for him the way he was. Squeezing her lightly, he deepened the kiss when he tasted a hint of her chocolate lipgloss still residing on her lips. She giggled, and he lifted lowered his arms on her to lift her up so he didn't have to bend down to kiss her. A squeal escaped her lips, and she leaned down to smooch the column of his neck.

The wizard smirked at the pale patch of throat presented to him and, with a playful growl that made Eve giggle shrilly, he nipped lightly.

Pulling back immediately, she gazed long and hard into his eyes and said, "I… I thought… you didn't like...?"

"I do," he insisted, pulling a stray curl from her face. "Like I told you before, I was just a little surprised the first time you did it, that's all."

A smile slowly erupted on her sweet face as she inquired, "Really?"

"Yeah."

Sheepishly grinning, Eve lowered her face to his throat once more and, after only a moment's hesitation, lightly nipped once. He made a small sound of approval, which prompted her to be even bolder, and she found herself moving to his adam's apple.

Remus shivered. "You're a playful little thing, aren't you?" He thumbed her cheek as she turned to grin shyly up at him, and was about to return the favor when they heard Professor McGonagall's voice echo in the distance.

"All students, please make your final purchases and make your way to the entrance of Hogsmeade immediately."

Eve pouted. "Oh, bother." She stole another kiss from his lips before he gently set her down. She fiddled with her locket, smiling down at the beautiful pendant before dropping it back inside her jacket. Fingers intertwining, they walked through the village together, meeting up with their other friends along the way.

The girls trailed behind their beaus as the mass of students headed back for the castle. The four twittered away at the wonderful day they had before turning to other matters.

"Ah," Olympe sighed. "Peter eez ze most adorable boy, eez he not?"

Lily chuckled. "He seems very sweet, Olympe." The redhead watched as the giant gazed down sweetly at Peter, batting her long eyelashes at the top of his head.

"Mm… I think the school uniforms should be officially changed to include jeans," Anna swooned as she ogled Sirius's backside.

"I wholeheartedly second that," Lily chimed in.

"Troisième," Olympe sighed again.

Eve covered her mouth and giggled as her eyes wandered down Remus's back and discovered that his face wasn't the only part of him that was pleasant to look at.

"Oh, dear!" Anna covered Eve's ears as she continued playfully, "We're corrupting our poor Eve!"

The Gryffindor witch rolled her eyes and teasingly stuck her tongue out at her best friend before pulling Anna's hands off her ears.

Anna laughed and hugged Eve from the side before they all entered the castle and said their good-byes to one another, splitting up into pairs and going their separate ways.

Eve and Remus giggled and chatted all the way back up into the Gryffindor common room.

"It's getting late." Eve spoke around a yawn. Stretching her arms above her head once, she told him happily, "I had a lovely day with you, Remus. Ooh, don't forget this." She shed the jacket he'd lent her at the beginning of the day and returned it to him.

After folding the jacket over an arm, Remus concurred, "Yes, I definitely had fun today."

"And we'll have another fun day tomorrow," Eve assured him with an arch of her eyebrow. She leaned in to grant him a kiss, pulled back purposely, and then, approaching him once more, whispered, "And this one's for the beautiful necklace you bought me." She planted a longer, more meaningful kiss to his mouth then, and Remus eagerly drank in her emotions.

Eve smiled after their kiss ended and, with a wave, she said, "Good night, Remus." Climbing a few stairs, she blew him a kiss and walked up the rest of the way.

"Good night, Eve," Remus replied to himself after catching her kiss, truly believing that they would most certainly have another amazing day tomorrow.

**Author's Note:** The French word Olympe used means "third"; I put it through a translator, so hopefully it's correct. _Question to the readers:_ What does everyone think/hope will happen in the remaining days of their trial week? I can't wait to read the answer in your **reviews!**


	40. Trial Week: Day Four: The Promise

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** I'd like to thank everyone who continues to review! It really helps me know what I'm doing right for the future! Keep them coming!

Over twenty-eight thousand hits! Thanks, everyone!

Happy New Year, everyone!

**Publish Date: **Thursday, January 1, 2009.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Forty: Trial Week: Day Four: The Promise

As Remus was just about to open the door of the boys' dormitory to descend the stairs, Maiara returned with a loud hoot. The wizard approached the owl with a smile, reaching out and taking the package in her claws from her.

"Good girl, Maiara," he praised. "Get your rest, now; I'll have to send you out if Dad's owl doesn't arrive soon."

He stroked her head once, then exited the dormitory, meeting his girlfriend in the common room.

"Good morning, Remus," Eve greeted as she rose from the hearth of the fireplace. She closed the gap between them and coyly tugged the chain around his neck. Leaning up, she brought her mouth to his for a smooch.

"_Very_ good morning." Remus grinned down at his girlfriend before granting her a peck on the forehead. He reached down and squeezed her hand lightly. A moment of silence followed as they embraced, and Remus was the first to break it. "So, what do you have in mind for today?"

Eve smiled widely and nodded toward the window. Grasping his hand, she crossed the room to the window and pointed. "It's snowing." Remus watched as the snowflakes danced through the air as they fell from the sky.

"I see; so you-"

"-want you to take me outside to play in the snow. Will you, will you, will you?" Eve pleaded, bouncing hopefully on the balls of her feet.

The wizard gazed tenderly down at his enthusiastic girlfriend. "Well, how could I say no to you? Of course I will."

Eve squealed and her bouncing escalated.

"Alright, calm down, calm down." He waited for her to skip up the stairs to grab a jacket, but when she didn't, he rolled his eyes and offered, "I'll go grab you some snow clothes."

"Thank you, Remus. I'll be waiting just outside the common room."

"Oh, and by the way," Remus returned to her. "Here." He pressed the package that had arrived earlier into her hand. "Maiara returned with this."

Eve beamed. "Thank you." She took the gift from him before he left for the boys' dormitory.

She unwrapped the gift as she exited the common room through the portrait hole, and found a muggle photograph of her mum, dad, and sister Dawn standing by their Christmas tree. On the back of the picture was a note scrawled in her sister's slightly messy handwriting:

_Thinking of you on Christmas day. We miss you and love you, Eve! Love, Mum, Dad, and Dawn._

Eve flipped the picture back over and smiled down at her family. Her mother must've had a haircut recently, because the line it fell to at her shoulders looked incredibly straight. Eve had gotten her hair color from her mother, who had waves in it, and her father's blonde hair was straight.

The mystery that had eluded the Pankharts was Eve's gray eyes. No one in her family had gray eyes; her father's were hazel, and her mother's, like Dawn's, were light blue.

Before she could open the present her family sent her, she was interrupted by a pair of strong arms wrapping around her waist from behind.

With a giggle, she leaned back into him as he rested his face on the back of her head. "I was just about to open the gift from my family. Do you want to see?"

She felt his mouth skim the column of her throat, dropping a nip just beneath her ear. "Ooh, that feels lovely!" She cooed.

Another wizard stood near the portrait of the fat lady and froze, rooted to the spot at the display. He couldn't believe she would go back to him; had she been doing that all this time?

Eve giggled as he nibbled once on her shoulder and said in triumph, "I knew that necklace vould make you return to me, Eef."

Eve gasped and tensed. "V-Vlad?" She squeaked. _I-I thought it was Remus holding me._

Remus watched from beside the portrait of the fat lady as Eve spun around, jaw clenched tight, and panting heavily in fury. Her eyes knitted tightly together, and her fists shook at her sides as she ground out through gritted teeth, "_Vladimir… you bloody git!_" She whipped out her wand and aimed it at his forehead. "Why won't you leave me alone? I'm _Remus's_ girlfriend, not yours!"

"But _I_ can buy you anything you vant; I haven't seen one extravagant gift from him to show his feelings for you. See? I'm better for you than he is." Vladimir grinned at his former girlfriend in an attempt to charm her back into his arms. "Now, lower your vand; you know you could never actually use it like this." He smirked up at her victoriously as her facial features softened and she slowly dropped her wand hand.

Vladimir barely had time to blink before Eve waved her wand in his face and exclaimed, "Petrificus totalus!"

The Durmstrang's body straightened out as rigid as a rod, and he fell backward with a loud clatter.

Eve slowly sheathed her wand in her robes and stepped carefully to her former beau's petrified body. Reaching his head, she kneeled down and told him in a dangerously low voice, "I never could, could I? Of course I could; I am a _Gryffindor!_"

Eve clutched her present tightly to her for comfort as she walked aimlessly down the corridor. She didn't even realize that Remus was waiting for her until he embraced her. She jumped, briefly believing it to be Vladimir again, but when she discovered it was her boyfriend, she clung to him.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" She pleaded into his chest. "I-I th-thought it was _you_ I was with; I didn't turn around, I… I didn't see it was him…"

"Shh, shh… I saw the whole thing." Remus was convinced she was telling the truth, especially since he'd seen her reaction. How could he not believe her when she almost never raised her voice above normal speaking volume? Besides, she wasn't a violent person by nature, and yet she'd cast a spell to subdue Vladimir.

"I'm so sorry!" Eve continued. "It's my fault; I should've checked who was behind me before letting him continue. I feel so… I feel so _gross!_" She whimpered and pushed her head further into his chest. "I feel like I… cheated."

Remus rubbed her back, swallowing down the livid lump in his throat. "No, no, no, it's not your fault. I… I believe you when you say you didn't know." He rested his head on Eve's shoulder and inhaled.

His inner wolf growled. Vladimir's thick smell smothered Eve's lilac scent.

"I can smell that git on you," Remus grumbled low.

Eve sniffled. "I'm really, really sorry, Remus." She lowered her head guiltily.

Remus pushed Eve's hair off her shoulder and lowered his head to place several open-mouthed kisses on her neck.

Eve's breath caught in her throat. This should've felt pleasant to her, but, instead, she couldn't help but believe it was more an obligation for him.

"Wha-What are you doing?"

"I don't want to smell _him_ on you; you're _my_ girl." Remus said gruffly. His grip on her tightened, and he pressed layer after layer of kisses on her neck until he could only smell her scent mingling with his own.

With a sigh of relief, he hugged her and said, "Your scent is back, now."

Eve wrapped her arms around his shoulders and asked curiously, "You… you can distinguish between smells? But they're so subtle!"

Remus arched an eyebrow as if to say, 'Have you seriously forgotten what I am?' and Eve's mouth formed an 'O' in comprehension before she leaned back into his chest.

"Shh, shh," Remus soothed. "C'mon, it's alright." Eve wiped her nose and eyes. "Hey, you're not the one at fault here, that pathetic excuse for a wizard is."

Eve tilted her head up to gaze at him, a small smile slowly appearing on her face. Remus smiled back down at her and said, "Here, why don't you put on _my_ jacket, _my_ gloves, _my_ scarf, and _my_ hat," Eve grinned sheepishly up at her beau, "and we'll go outside, try to forget about all this… Ooh, and we'll have to see what's in that package of yours. Will that make you happy?"

Eve nodded her head quickly and, after a moment of shy hesitation, she kissed him and said firmly, "I'm _your_ girl."

Remus grinned widely. "I like hearing that." He caressed her cheek once and ushered her down the corridor after handing her the extra snow clothes.

As she continued walking, he stopped for a moment at Vladimir's side and knelt. "You hear that? She's _my_ girl; hands off. She treated you with mercy; I can't say whether I would have." He smirked down at his girlfriend's former beau's petrified body as he clapped him on the shoulder and said, "Oh, and by the by," Remus rose, "she _didn't_ accept your necklace."

Remus trotted to catch up with Eve, who didn't even realize he'd left her for the moment.

"_Wow_," she breathed as she gazed out at the silent, completely white landscape. "Look! No one's been outside yet; it's perfectly smooth."

"Yeah," Remus replied. He liked the sound of the snowy silence, and became even more eager to run out into it with Eve.

"Here, while we're still in the doorway, why don't you open up your present so you can leave it in here while we go outside?"

"Alright." Eve agreed as she pulled a letter out from the side of the package. She immediately recognized her sister's handwriting. "It's from Dawn!" She exclaimed happily.

_Dear Eve,_

_Happy Christmas! I miss you but I hope you're having a great time at Hogwarts. I can't wait until you can send your present from Hogsmeade. I'm so excited!_

_I have the most amazing news for you! Can you guess what it is?_

_I hope you're guessing because I'm about to tell you!_

_Alright here it is:_

_I was trying to reach the cookie jar that Mum keeps on the top of the cabinet but I'm too short to reach it. The next thing I know, the entire jar floated down to me! It was magic, Eve, I know it was! I made the cookie jar float! I THINK I'M A WITCH! Do you think I can make it into Hogwarts? I really hope so! You make it sound like it's so much fun!!!_

_Write back soon!_

_Love,_

_Your magical sister,_

_Dawn_

Eve's eyes were wide, and her mouth hung open in shock. "Oh, _Merlin!_ Remus, my sister, she's-she's-she's— Read this!"

Remus chuckled at her excitement and took the letter to read for himself. When he found the paragraph she had gotten so excited at, he grinned at her and said, "Congratulations, Eve! You must be so proud of your sister!"

"She's a _witch!_" Eve bounced on her toes. "She'sAWitchShe'sAWitchShe'sAWitchShe'sAWitchShe'sAWitch!"

"That's great!" Remus hugged Eve and smooched her forehead. He caught sight of the photograph that accompanied her gift. "She'll make a cute witch," he offered with a smile.

"Oh, Merlin, I-I can't believe it; oh, wow!" She read through the letter again with a squeal and latched onto her boyfriend, clinging to him tightly.

"What's in the package, Evie?" Remus inquired.

Eve drew in a deep breath to compose herself and opened the package with shaky hands. "Ooh! _The Phantom of the Opera_! I've never actually had the chance to read the book, I've just seen it performed on stage."

"Same with me. I may just have to steal that book from you after you're done with it." Remus winked.

"Mm, I may just have to let you," Eve flirted. She gently placed her book, letter, and photograph on the ground and charged out into the snow, exclaiming, "To the snowy wonderland!"

Remus laughed and sprinted after her, scooping her up from behind. She squealed as he stomped through the snow with her and tossed her into a pile of it.

"Ah! Remus!" She shrieked. "Big meanie!" She wriggled around in the snow before declaring, "Snow angel!" She moved her limbs around her to create the figure in the snow.

Remus's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "A… 'snow angel'? What's that?"

Reaching out her hands to him, she said, "Help me up and I'll show you."

He pulled her up out of the tiny hill of snow to see the shape she left there.

"Oh, bugger," she winced, tugging subconsciously at the back of her jacket. "My bum print in the snow looks awful. I hope that's not what it really looks like." She turned to look over her shoulder at her behind, but Remus spoke.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it; trust me, you have a _very_… nice… bum…" Remus swallowed. He never meant to say that, it just spilled out! Eve's eyes widened, and she backed away from him a few steps. "I-I'm sorry, Eve; I didn't mean… I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I…" Remus felt like he'd just pulled a Vladimir to his Eve, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't want to cause her discomfort, and he also didn't want to have anything in common with Vladimir.

"R-Really? You really think it's, um…" Eve gulped, "nice?"

Remus didn't know what to say that wouldn't get him hexed, so he mouthed words that simply wouldn't come while Eve turned from him and bent down to gather some snow.

"You really do, do you?" She asked again, but Remus was enjoying the view she was giving him; so much so that he didn't answer her a second time.

"You naughty boy!" Eve chucked the snowball she formed at her boyfriend. Laughing as the white snow clung to his beard, she took off at a run down the hill toward the lake.

"Why, you little-" Remus muttered good-naturedly to himself as he went after her. Tearing down the hill, he gained on her when she turned around and ran backwards for a few steps to see how far behind her he was, and then turned back around with a shriek to run some more.

"Ah!" He cried out as he leaped to her and dragged her down into the snow with him when he'd caught up with her. "I have you now, Evie!" He gathered the giggling heap that was his girlfriend beneath him into the snow as the two tried to catch their breaths.

"No! Cheater! Let me go!" Eve cried out between laughs.

"'Cheater'? You insult me, Miss Pankhart." Remus pretended to sniffle. "I chased you all this way; may I pwease have a kiss?"

Eve gently touched Remus's face and asked softly, "Aw, does my poor wittle boyfwiend want a kiss?"

Remus pouted and nodded his head, throwing in a whimper for added effect.

Eve put on a show of closing her eyes and puckering her lips, and she even leaned in a little like she was about to kiss him, but she quickly dashed away and said, "Ha! You have to catch me again to get a kiss!"

Remus, thoroughly unsatisfied, cried out, "No, this… this isn't fair!" Sighing when he realized she wasn't going to stop running, he picked himself up and hurried after her.

His wolf felt the rush of blood shove through his veins as he stampeded after his girl. As much as he hated admitting to sharing a trait with his other side, Remus loved to run, and found that he loved it even more right now because of the thrill of the chase after Eve.

Eve interrupted his thoughts when she suddenly halted, turned around and yelled, "Roar!" as if it were a battle cry. She took off after him, even though he was still running toward her.

He did his best to turn around and take off in the opposite direction, but she'd caught him unawares, and it was just too late for him to do so. She knocked him down into the snow and, sitting atop him, giggled at him.

"You should see the look of surprise on your face!" She giggled loudly.

"Well, I wasn't expecting for you to attack me like that and come out on top, pardon the pun," Remus said, thumbing her knees.

"Alright, alright, I think you've earned your kiss," Eve relented, pulling off her gloves and hat and tossing them by the tree near them. Pulling lightly on his chain with a grin on his face, she helped him up and said, "Follow me."

"I want my kiss _now!_" Remus whined as he followed. She grinned and gestured for him to sit beneath the tree, and she plopped herself down on his lap.

Eve pressed her lips against Remus's for a minute before he wrapped his arms around her and sighed happily. "That was completely worth it."

She giggled and gently stroked down his cheek. "You're sweet."

Remus pulled Eve's left hand from his cheek when the light from the sun caught a ring on it and reflected at him. He'd always seen her wear this ring, but it never occurred to him to ask her about it. But it was on a special finger, and they had time to talk about it now…

"What's this?" He held up her left ring finger to show her the ring. His finger ran down the white gold band that encircled a pearl and two small diamonds. "Do you have a fiancé I should know about?" He teased, causing her to giggle. "Huh?"

Shaking her head, she said, "No, of course not! Actually, this is, um…" She moved the ring nervously around on her finger. "This is my-my purity ring."

Remus arched an eyebrow. "A… purity ring?"

Eve nodded without looking at him.

"What's a… a purity ring?"

"It's muggle. It's a promise I made to myself that I, erm… I wouldn't go to bed with anyone but my husband."

"Muggle magic?" Remus inquired curiously. "How does it control you?"

Eve giggled and pressed a hand to her nose. "It doesn't control me, silly, and there's no such thing as muggle magic. This is just a symbol of my promise, that's all. Someday, this will be replaced with an engagement and wedding ring… or maybe even a promise ring before that." She gazed down at her hand tenderly.

"Oh, you want a promise ring? Why didn't you tell me? I would've looked for one at the jewelry store yesterday."

Eve's face grew hot. "O-Oh, no, Remus. A promise ring is… well, it's… it's more for couples who have been together for a long time, and… it's sort of like the ring that comes before the engagement ring, the ring that leads up to it. Usually. Not always, but… usually.

"_O-Oh_." Remus felt his cheeks redden at his folly.

The curious wizard pulled her hand up to inspect the ring closer. His eyes wandered over to Eve's face, which still had a pink tint to it. She seemed to be waiting for his reaction to her ring, so he pulled her hand up and kissed the pearl, catching her gaze with his and holding it for the duration of the kiss.

"Virtue; I admire that in a girl." Remus smiled lightly at his girlfriend, who seemed to be brightening at his words.

"You're taking this better than Vlad did. He, erm…" Eve fiddled with the jacket of his she was wearing, "he still tried to convince me to break my-my promise… with him… I-I never did!" She assured him immediately. "But… he tried… sometimes he tried."

Remus tasted something rancid in his mouth. Why couldn't Vladimir just respect her for who she was and what she decided? This in mind, he kissed her ring again, he told her, "If you made such a big promise to yourself, then I'd like to make one to the both of us: I, Remus John Lupin, vow _never_ to pressure you into _anything_. I give you complete control over the pace of our relationship, and I will respect any decision you make for yourself."

"Remus," Eve breathed in awe with a light, stunned chuckle. Stroking his cheek, she drew in a breath and said, "I accept your promise and… I'll kiss to that."

Their mouths fused together, consummating their promise to one another.

**Author's Note:** _Questions to the readers:_ What does everyone think about day four's events? How about what Vladimir did in the beginning of the chapter? What is everyone's thoughts about Eve's ring and the promise she and Remus have made to one another? What does everybody think about Dawn being a witch, too? I can't wait to read the answers to these questions in the **reviews!**


	41. Trial Week: Day Five: Ice Skating and

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to all those who continue to review; I appreciate hearing your thoughts very, very much! The more critiques (no flames, please) you give me, the better! Thank you all so, so much!

Over thirty-thousand hits! Thanks, everyone!

I'd like to take the time now to apologize for not being able to review as often as I- and I'm sure many of the reviewers- would like. Life is quite busy for me now, leaving me with little time for me to write on a consistent basis. However, I'd like to say that I am going to continue this story, most definitely. It is never far from my thoughts, and I'm constantly trying to think up new directions to take the story and the characters in. I'd like to thank everyone who is- and has been- bearing with me.

_**I'd just like to point out:**_ I'm ecstatic that I have new reviewers! Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me your thoughts on this story! _**On the same note:**_ I'd also like to thank the reviewers who have been posting their thoughts for a while. Unfortunately, I've noticed some of my dedicated reviewers haven't been reviewing lately like they used to, and I miss that. I'd like to take the opportunity to ask all these reviewers (those who were routine reviewers for the longest time and suddenly stopped) to _**please begin reviewing once more**_. I'd also like to extend an invitation for all my readers to review. I greatly appreciate and benefit from these reviews in that I become a better writer because of them. I know I haven't been able to respond to each of these reviews in an individual manner, but I would like to respond to all of them right now by saying thanks for reviewing; I truly, truly appreciate it! Thank you all so much!

Please see the _**author's note at the bottom of the chapter**_; I have a new section added to it!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, February 08, 2009.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Forty-One: Trial Week: Day Five: Ice Skating and Relationships Past

Lily giggled at Eve as she brushed through the brunette's thick curls. "And then what happened?"

Eve sighed in reminiscence. "And then… then he promised me that he'd never pressure me into anything and that I could be in control of how far we go, and-and oh, Lily, he was so sweet to me when I told him what a purity ring was. He took it so well!"

Lily hugged Eve from where she stood behind her and squealed. "It sounds like you two are getting along famously!"

"We really are! He respects me, he really does. I just… I feel so comfortable with him and I fancy him so much. I just… I don't know how to tell him how much I appreciate him and his patience with me."

"Tell him what you just told me; I'm sure he'll be grateful you did."

Lily set down the brush and fluffed Eve's hair. "Mm, I love your hair; I wish mine were so curly!"

Gazing down at her hands, Eve said distractedly, "It's a pain to brush, as I'm sure you must've figured out when you nearly broke the handle a while ago."

"Yes, but, it looks lovely." Lily framed Eve's hair around her face but, when she noticed her friend wasn't paying attention, she asked, "What is it?"

Eve swallowed and rubbed her nose. "Ah-um… Lily… What does it mean w-when your own boyfriend won't kiss you?"

Lily moved to stand before Eve with her hands on her hips. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, you see, Remus ha-hasn't exactly kissed me since he told me about… his secret. I-I mean he'll kiss me, but he won't _kiss_ me… on the mouth, that is. He'll allow me to kiss him, and he'll- he'll—" Eve's face warmed and she snapped her head up to look at Lily. "Oh, I-I'm sorry. Perhaps this is too much information…"

"No, it's fine; I don't mind. So, you'll kiss him, but he won't kiss you?"

"Yes, that's right. I-I mean, he seems alright with me kissing him, but… I don't know, Lily, sometimes I feel like maybe I-I might be too forward or I'm moving too fast, or-"

"Eve, I'm certain you're not moving too fast. You said he hasn't kissed you directly since he told you about his lycanthropy, yes? Maybe he's just nervous now that you know about it; you _are_ the first girlfriend he's told. You know that, don't you?"

Eve shook her head. "Actually… we've never gotten around to discussing our former partners, so… no, I didn't know that." She pulled at a few curls and watched the mirror to see where they settled before asking lightly, "Why did he choose to tell me and not his ex-girlfriends?"

Lily shrugged. "I'm not sure; probably because he trusts you more. But that's for _him_ to explain to you sometime; I really shouldn't be telling you about his history, seeing as it's none of my business." Eve nibbled on her lower lip, nervously playing with her hair. She suddenly felt anxious that Remus might be comparing her kissing ability to that of his former girlfriends, which, in her mind, could be why he wouldn't kiss her, especially if hers didn't measure up to his exes. She swallowed. She figured he must've had at least one girlfriend before her, but she'd never actually been told directly that he had.

"Hey, don't worry!" Lily hugged Eve from the side. "I know he adores you. He doesn't tell his secret to just anyone, you know; the Marauders and the two of us are the only students in the entire he's told."

Eve turned to look up at the redhead in surprise. "Really?" Her friend nodded. "Well, I suppose that makes sense- that he wouldn't want everyone to know about his condition, that is."

"Besides," Lily continued on the track her conversation had previously been traveling on, "Remus made a promise to you! He's so sweet on you; I don't even think _you_ realize how much he fancies you!"

Eve twirled a curl tightly around her finger, inwardly gushing at the thought. Maybe Lily was right, maybe he _did_ like her as much as she claimed.

Bouncing once in her seat, Eve's face illuminated like a sun shining through a cloudy day, "Oh, I-I certainly hope he fancies me as much as you say he does, Lily!" Eve's eyes glowed happily. "I adore him very much!"

Lily leaned back on the heavy, worn wooden desk before Eve and inquired sincerely, "What is it about Remus that you like so much?"

Eve dropped her eyes shyly to the floor. Then she raised her gaze, drew in a deep breath, and gushed, "Remus is such a sweetheart to me, he's sooooo smart, he's heart-meltingly charming, he's a romantic, he made that promise to me which tells me that he thinks of me first in our relationship-"

"Eve, stop and breathe!" Lily laughed, shaking the girl by her shoulders.

"_and_ he's _devilishly_ attractive." Eve giggled into her palms

Lily laughed heartily, throwing her arms around her. "And I'll bet you've only just begun, right?"

"You'd better believe it!" Eve patted her friend's back before pulling away from the hug.

"Eve," Lily started, pulling her hair out of her face and sitting back completely on the desk, "I have known Remus since I was eleven, and I can honestly say that he is one of the most caring, compassionate, and sincere people I know. At one point in my first year," Lily rolled her eyes in playful guilt, "_I_ even fancied him. I don't anymore, obviously, I've since fallen for James, but… I can't even tell you how happy you've made your boyfriend, Eve. I don't think I've ever seen him so happy before."

Eve beamed. "Aw, thanks, Lily!"

"Let's _all_ make our boyfriends happy today," Lily proposed. "We should all spend the day together."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Ice skating on the lake sounds _so_ romantic, especially since we're the only ones related to muggles, which means we'll have to _teach_ them!" Lily bit her lower lip excitedly.

"Do… Do you really think they'll go for it? Ice skating, I mean."

"Of course! They'll get to spend the whole day with _us_; what _won't_ they go for?"

Eve grinned. "I can't wait!"

.x:X:x.

"Remus… There's something I've got to tell you." Sirius spat out the leftover toothpaste in his mouth as Remus stepped out of a cloud of steam accompanying him from the shower. He adjusted the towel at his waist before distastefully surveying himself in the mirror beside Sirius. He couldn't stand the scars he saw when he looked into the mirror, even though his mates were always trying to cheer him up by saying things like scars were attractive to females, or that scars were better than being ugly, or by pointing out that at least he was pretty fit for a guy, and even had faint impressions of abdominals peeking through his skin.

"What?" Remus inquired as he adjusted the chain Eve had given him on his collarbone- he was determined never to remove it while they were courting- and slid a length of toothpaste onto his toothbrush.

"It's about Vladimir-"

"Oh, yeah," Remus paused in his brushing. "I've been meaning to ask you what you did to him after you followed him out of the Yule Ball."

"Oh… Nothing." Sirius shrugged.

"'Nothing'? You honestly expect me to believe that?" Remus raised a brow.

"No, really, mate. When I saw that he was hiccupping up frogs, of all things, I figured it was already brilliant enough that anything I would've done would be overkill, so I left him alone."

"Oh… I think that's the first time you've ever said that, Padfoot." Remus bobbed his head as he brushed his teeth.

"But, I don't want to talk about that. Yesterday, I passed Vladimir; did you know he'd been petrified?"

"Yeah. He was being fresh with Eve, so she casted the spell on him to teach him a lesson." Remus grinned in reminiscence. "That's my girl."

"Wow, go Eve; she has some guts on her- just the type of girl a Marauder ought to be courting." Sirius smirked. "Anyway, I walked by him, and I, feeling generous, broke the spell and helped him up."

"You did _what?_"

"I decided it was high time that he and I had a little chat. He recognized my last name and, since he's a pureblood, too, I guess he just trusted me immediately. I got him talking about Eve by saying random things like how cute she was, and whatnot-"

"Watch it, Sirius, this is my girl you're talking about."

"-but, of course, I was only saying that to get him to open up to me." Sirius assured his friend. "And then Vladimir came back with how he liked how 'innocent' Eve looked."

Remus stopped brushing and swallowed hard, wincing at the taste of his saliva mixed with toothpaste. That was exactly what he found most attractive about Eve's appearance. Those wide, bright eyes of hers; her tiny nose; her ripe lips that gave the softest of kisses; her porcelain skin ready to pink modestly at a moment's notice; and her thick, curly hair that framed her heart-shaped face- in his mind, she personified innocence, a fact that was only supported by the promise ring on her finger.

"It seems like he's not the only one who's noticed," Sirius declared off his friend's stunned expressions.

Wiping his mouth with a towel, Remus replied, "Well, she _does_ look innocent, I'll give him that. I'm just disgusted that I share an interest with _Vladimir_. At least I actually respect and fancy her for who she is on the inside; I _know_ Vladimir sure as hell doesn't."

"That's just the thing: Vladimir started explaining how Eve wouldn't go to bed with him even when he tried to get her to, and then he said something that shocked even _me_." Sirius leaned on the sink and moved closer to Remus, who knew this must be pretty bad given all the insults he'd heard his family spew before. "He said he wanted and still wants Eve in bed because she _looks_ innocent," he ticked his fingers as he continued, "he knows her to _be_ innocent- he said something about a ring here- and _then_ he said that a mudblood witch like her is only as good as her first tumble in bed."

Remus gripped the sink so tightly, both boys were surprised it didn't break in his clutch.

"He said that, did he?" He asked in a dangerously low voice. "That slimy son of a dragon! How _dare_ he!" Remus threw all his weight into a punch at the door, which flew off its hinges into the shower stall. "He doesn't have the right to say that about her! What the _bloody hell_ has she ever done to him to make him speak that way about her?" He paced the bathroom and panted loudly like a predator. "I know what I'll do; I'll tell Eve to stay away from him. I don't want her anywhere _near_ him if that's all he's after!"

Still in a rage, Remus left the room to change, leaving Sirius standing at the sink to hear his friend yell once more, "_That son of a bloody dragon!_"

.x:X:x.

Eve and Lily chatted to themselves as they descended the stairs to the common room, and they found the Marauders sitting on the couch.

"Hello, my Jamesy," Lily giggled as she slid over the armrest and into her beau's lap.

After receiving a peck, he quietly reminded her, "Lils, what have I told you about using that nickname around the guys?"

Lily's features melted into a fragile puppy-dog pout. "But Jamesy, it's just as cute as you are!"

James sighed. Merlin, he spoiled this girl; how could he ever deny her even the smallest of whims? "_Fine_," he relented. Lily squealed and hugged him as Remus rose from the couch and quickly crossed the room to Eve.

Eve smiled shyly, Lily's suggestions that Remus fancied her more than he had his former girlfriends causing her to feel slightly nervous. "Good morning, Remus."

"'Morning." Remus moved forward to smooch her forehead. He bit the inside of his lip as he told her, "Listen, Eve, I don't want to sound like I'm… well…. I just found out something about… If I asked you to do something for me, would you mind doing it?"

"No, of course not. What is it?"

Remus swallowed. How was he supposed to tell her all he'd recently learned about her former beau? "To make a long story short, I just found out that… Vladimir is still after you."

"No, you think?" Eve arched an eyebrow.

"I mean… he still wants to… take you to bed." Remus watched as Eve's face fell and turned pale as the moon. "Yeah, so…" He sighed and pulled her hands into his own, catching her eyes with his. "I want to ask you… please… stay away from Vladimir. I… I don't feel comfortable with you being left alone with him after finding that out, and especially after you told me about this." He bowed his head to peck the pearl of her ring, as if reminding her of the promise she made to herself and the one he'd made for both of them.

Eve bobbed her head. "Yes. Yes, of course. I-I can't believe he-he…" She shook her head feverishly. "B-But I'll stay away from him as you ask, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Thank you," he whispered gratefully in reply. "Thank you." He smooched her hands. "I really hope I don't come off as possessive, or anything. I don't want you to feel like you're courting Vladimir again."

Eve chuckled and shook her head. "No, no, you definitely _don't_ sound possessive, and, trust me, you're nothing like Vladimir, so you have nothing to worry about. I know you're only asking me this because you care."

"That's exactly right." Remus framed her face in his hands. "Now, if he ever says or does anything to upset you, I want you to come find me. Am I understood?"

Eve bobbed her head obediently, and Remus smiled. "That's my girl." Noticing that she was wearing her own jacket, for once, he couldn't help but smirk and tease, "Well, _someone's _back in her own snow clothes again."

Eve glanced down at her chocolate brown coat. "Yeah, well, I figured you were getting tired of me constantly wearing your stuff."

"No, of course not; you're more than welcome to my jacket anytime. Though, I think yours fits you better than mine does." Remus chuckled.

Eve giggled. "Lily and I have something special planned for everyone today."

"Do you, now?" Remus inquired curiously, tilting his head to one side. "What would that be?"

Eve beamed up at her beau excitedly and, bouncing happily where she stood, revealed, "We're going ice skating on the pond today!"

Remus's smile remained, unwavering, as he shrugged and asked sincerely, "What's ice skating?"

.x:X:x.

"Okay, so, I actually haven't done this in a while," Eve told her boyfriend, who was sitting in a pile of snow larger than himself. They had transfigured their shoes into ice skates, and the half-blood wizard was more than a tad nervous about walking on ice with blades strapped to his feet. What were muggles thinking when they invented this pastime?

"So _I_ might be holding onto _you_ as much as _you_ are holding onto _me… _ until I get used to skating again, of course," she warned as she held out her hand to Remus.

The wizard swallowed, gazing out across the lake as his friends clung to their girls, except for Peter, who was sitting on Olympe's lap contentedly. The ice wouldn't be thick enough to hold her, so she had opted for cuddling with the Marauder in the snow, petting the top of his head and giggling loudly at whatever he was whispering to her.

"Alright, careful, now," Eve encouraged as she helped him stand on his skates in the snow. Their legs wobbled like jelly until they stepped out onto the ice, where Eve's legs steadied, and Remus's legs locked rigidly.

"No, bend at the knees; you'll have better balance that way," Eve instructed as he gripped tightly onto her arm and did his best to skate beside her. "You're doing great so far- Ah!"

Remus's foot jutted out from beneath him, the blade shaving a thin layer of ice and spraying it up into the air. He scrambled to find his footing, but Eve gripped onto him tightly.

"I've got you; up you go," she grunted as she hoisted him back up onto his blades.

"Merlin, who in their right mind would tie daggers to their feet and expect to have fun falling all over themselves?" Remus grumbled to himself as he dusted the ice crystals off his pants.

Eve jerked her head and gazed up at him in shock, taken aback by what he just asked. He did remember the blood heritage of the girl he was courting, right? "Muggles," she replied in a sharp tone. "Blimey, Remus, if you didn't want to give this a try, all you had to do was say so instead of mock my ancestry!" Remus felt a sharp jab at his heart at the note of hurt in her voice.

He inwardly groaned. Could anything worse possibly have flown from his mouth at that moment? "Listen, Eve, I-I didn't mean to… I… I'd love to give this an actual try, if you'd help me… I'm just not exactly sure how to _dooooo_-" Remus wobbled heavily on his skates, flailing his arms out as Eve clung to him to stabilize him, "this."

"Well then all you need to do is ask for help; you don't need to insult my heritage, Remus," Eve asserted. Shifting her stance, she dug the spike of her toe into the ice, bringing her beau to a halt with her. "Here," she offered, carefully stepping so she was in front of him. "I think you just need something solid to hold onto to steady yourself." She pulled his hands up to settle on her hips. "Hold onto me."

"Don't need to tell me twice," she heard Remus murmur from behind her, and she could swear sensed a grin in his words.

"Don't get cute." Eve turned her head to gaze over her shoulder, eyebrow arched playfully.

"That's _your_ job," Remus replied with a smirk and a wink, squeezing her hips.

The crinkle in her nose appeared. Good. She was happy again. "Says who?"

"Every male in his right mind." Remus's hands skimmed up to her waist, and Eve giggled. "Especially your boyfriend." Hooking his chin over her shoulder, he continued, "He thinks you're the personification of cute."

"Does he, now?" She lightheartedly flirted. She lowered her voice to an intimate whisper to say, "Well, you'll have to remind me to thank him later."

Lily glided gracefully over the ice like a swan on a lake, James at her side. He had actually taken to ice skating quicker than she anticipated, which she attributed to his superior athletic ability, given his position on the Quidditch team.

"You're doing so well, Jamesie!" Lily gushed, eyes bright with joy.

James smiled down at her and replied, "Well, I have a great teacher."

Lily spotted Remus and Eve embracing in the middle of the lake. "Oi, you two!" She called out in jest, "Are you actually going to ice skate, or are you going to just stand there all day?"

Eve's cheeks warmed and Remus thumbed her hips. "Alright, let's try this for real this time."

Lily waved daintily at Eve, as if reminding her about their discussion that morning, while she skated away with James.

Eve looked straight ahead and said, "Alright Remus, now, while bending your knees," she moved up and down to emphasize the position her legs were in, "push off gently with one foot and glide on the other. We'll push off with the right foot and glide on the left. Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Remus's fingertips gripped into her hips, careful to be gentle so as not to hurt her.

Eve leaned on her left foot and kicked off with her right, Remus following suit as they balanced together on their blades. "Alright, again, but the opposite way this time." They each connected their right foot with the ice and stroked the ice with their left.

"Great!" Eve exclaimed, glancing over her shoulder once. "Now, if we do that quicker, we'll be ice skating. Here, let's try."

Keeping in rhythm to the other's skating, they each clicked their blades against the ice to propel them at a comfortable speed across the ice. Eve noticed excitedly that not a single tremor shot through Remus as he skated behind her.

"You're doing so well, Remus; you really are a fast learner!" Eve smiled to him.

"Well, thank you for taking the time to teach me," Remus replied as he thumbed her sides. "This is actually pretty fun! I guess I'm not too bad at this at all-" He yelped as he tripped and adjusted his body to force himself upright.

Eve chuckled as she curved their skating to match the contour of the lake. "I can't believe you've never done this before, especially with one of your former girlfriends. I mean, assuming you've had other girlfriends, which I'm sure you have." She grinned slyly at him. "Who could resist _your_ charm?" She knew he'd had girlfriends before her, seeing as Lily had told her so that morning, but she was hoping to start opening the doorway to the conversation about their past relationships.

Remus blushed and helped Eve turn so she was facing him. He helped to guide her as she skated backwards (_How was she so good at this? It must be a muggle skill,_ Remus thought). "Yes… I have had other girlfriends, but I-" He stopped, his mouth still open, and Eve could've swore she saw pink spreading along his cheeks. He sighed, bowed his head, and shook it, murmuring, "Nah, you'll… you'll think it's silly… stupid…" He swallowed and scratched the back of his neck, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Embarrassing."

Eve cooed lightly, stroking his cheek. She dug the pick of her skate into the ice and gestured for the two of them to sit together in the snow. They marched awkwardly off the ice, where they attempted to lower themselves into a sitting position, but ended up falling a ways.

"Now, Remus, whatever could possibly be so 'silly, stupid, and embarrassing' that you wouldn't want to talk to me about it?" Eve asked, encouraging him to proceed.

"Well, it… I kind of have to tell you something else before I can tell you the 'silly' part…" Remus gulped and dropped his gaze to his hands in his lap.

Eve laid her hand on his to show her support and assured him, "You know you can tell me _anything._"

Remus sighed, intertwining three of her fingers with his own. "I've had… two girlfriends before you, both chosen for me by Sirius."

"I don't understand."

"Sirius… is one of my best friends in the whole world… he was worried that I didn't have a girlfriend and that I wasn't trying to get one. I was worried if I ever got one that she'd get hurt- I _still_ am," he caught Eve's eye as he said this, "and he wanted me to forget my fears and be happy. Well…" He lowered his gaze once more, "my first girlfriend was only courting me to get closer to Sirius in hopes of 'moving up' and being _his_ girlfriend instead of mine… and the second…" Remus swallowed the lump in his throat. "The second… was horribly controlling of me, yet… yet she didn't mind flirting openly with other boys."

"Oh, Remus," Eve crooned into his ear, squeezing his hands. "That must've been horrible. I'm sorry you had to go through it. That's not 'silly' at all- that's awful!"

"No, no, that's not the 'silly' part, that's just…" Remus's eyes met Eve's. "You go next."

"Okay… Well, um… My first boyfriend was a Slytherin, and he-"

Remus wrinkled his nose as if he'd smelled spoiled milk. "_You? You_ dated a _Slytherin?_" He eyed her as if she'd committed some sort of betrayal.

Eve immediately pulled away from Remus and, with her head and an eyebrow cocked firmly, she comebacked, "I'm sure my _next_ boyfriend will be giving me the same look of disgust when I tell him I dated a werewolf!" Remus blinked, and reeled his head as if he'd been slapped. "How could you pass judgment on others when _you_ long for acceptance?" Eve's voice softened apologetically.

Remus shrank in his seat. As much as it hurt him to hear her say that, she had a point: How could he hope for others to be as accepting of him as his friends, family, and girlfriend were if he kept a closed mind to others?

"I'm sorry," he began softly. "The Slytherins have done and said… really awful things, I… I guess I'm just shocked that you actually found a decent one to date." _Not to mention the fact that you'd actually trust one of them that much or wanted to be with someone so beneath your level like that; you deserve _far_ better, Eve_.

"Well, he _was_ nice… for a while, but… then I sort of…" Eve turned away from Remus, ashamed. "I-I walked in on him. There was a girl snogging him… He… He cheated on me." She composed herself after a minute and continued, "Then, after him, I met and courted Vlad." She saw Remus's jaw muscle tense and twitch at the name. "And, contrary to what you've seen and heard of him, I assure you, he was, for the most part, nice to me last year when we courted. Well, you know, except for when he tried to get me to break my promise," she adjusted her purity ring on her finger, "or, erm… when he kept grabbing my bum without asking…" she furrowed her eyebrows, "and when his eyes wandered to other girls when he was with me…"

"He looked at other girls when he was out with you? How could he? Did he _actually_ expect to find the impossible? Did he _actually_ expect to find another girl prettier than you?"

Eve ducked her eyes and blushed. Pulling a curl behind her ear, she said, "Well, uh-um… Actually, according to him, that's not his fault. He-He said that… That all guys are like that, that they can't help but look at really attractive women." Remus's jaw dropped. "Oh, but thank _you_!"

"For never looking at another girl?" He asked, flabbergasted that she would deem it necessary to thank him for such a thing.

"For at least being discreet about it; looking at other girls, I mean. See, if it's part of a guy's nature, I figure that I-I'm not much to look at, s-so, thank you for at least not letting me catch you looking at other girls when you're with me."

Remus felt as if he'd been slapped in the face the second time that day. He felt insulted; did she really just thank him for that? "Is that where this comes from?" Eve looked up, confused. "Why you're always so surprised when I compliment you on your looks; you really don't believe me, do you?"

Eve's eyelashes fluttered. Remus grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Listen to me; every time I look at you, I feel like my legs are going to give out from beneath me. I _constantly_ question why a girl like you would ever _settle_ for a bloke like me. You are so _bloody_ gorgeous… I can't _help_ but draw you every time I pick up my quill; I haven't drawn anything or anyone else since I began drawing you!"

Eve's lips formed a shy 'o' as he pulled her in for a hug. _I'll have to undo all the damage Vladimir did,_ Remus decided. His fingers gently caressed her hair as he decided he'd tell her how beautiful she was every day when he first saw her. "Do you have any other exes I should know about?"

"One." She tilted her head up to gaze at him. "This past summer, I courted a muggle back home; he was actually _genuinely_ nice." Remus opened his mouth to remind her that that was what she had thought of Vladimir originally, when she cut him off with, "I mean it; I'd known him for a while, even before we dated, so I knew he was very kind. You and he are the only good boyfriends I've had." She turned to smile up at him. "I prefer you, though, of course."

Remus grinned triumphantly. "What happened? Why did your relationship end?"

Eve shrugged. "I was leaving for Hogwarts and… neither of us wanted a long-distance relationship. I mean, it's one thing for me to have a boyfriend here and then go home for the summer, because we can always arrange to see each other, but it's not so simple when it's the other way around, you know?"

"I understand," Remus replied, sighing inwardly in defeat. She was going to _laugh_ at him when she heard…

"Oh, what was it you wanted to say before? What's this 'silly' thing that most likely isn't 'silly' at all?" Eve inquired, tilting her head back to show she was listening fully to him.

"Well…" Remus gazed out at their friends, twirling on the mirror-like ice. He felt his face heat up again as he admitted, "See… Since I didn't date those girls for-for longer than a couple of weeks each… And-And since I didn't _really_ fancy them, seeing as Sirius sort of got us to-together… and th-they never really fancied me… and since I really fancy _you_, and we've been together for a while, counting our unofficial dating… I-I was thinking of… That is to say that I've been considering… calling you my… _first_… real girlfriend?"

Eve stared at Remus, and he held his breath as he awaited her reaction. He didn't have to wait long, however, as she squealed and tackled him back into the snow with her embrace. "Oh, Remus, that's so sweet! I'd be _honored_ if you'd consider me to be your first girlfriend!"

"R-Really?" He stuttered in shock. "You mean… You mean you're not embarrassed to be with a guy who doesn't have as much, erm… experience as you?"

"What do you mean?" She inquired, leaning over him.

"You… You were the first girl I've ever… you know…" His finger drew shapes in the snow, and his face turned red, "snogged."

Eve's eyes widened, and she placed a hand to her chest to show how his innocence touched her. "Really? I _really_ was?"

"Y-Yeah… That's why I'm not all that great at it yet… Sorry." He looked away.

"No, you're wonderful at it; I never would have known you hadn't snogged before!" Eve told him honestly. Snuggling into his chest, she told him, "I find it endearing that I'm the first girl you've snogged… or courted." She winked.

"Really? I mean… _really?_" Remus asked, his face squinted in shock.

"Yes, really!" Eve giggled, holding his chin and wiggling his jaw playfully. Rolling over to hover above him, she asked curiously, "Is that how far you've gone with the two girls before me? Just a kiss or two?"

If it were possible for Remus's face to melt from the heat of his blood rushing to color his cheeks, he would have been nothing more than a puddle at that moment. Why did she keep asking him these questions? Why was it so important for her to know that A, she had had more boyfriends than he had had girlfriends, and B, that he lacked sorely in snogging experience with girls where she had such experience with boys.

Remus floundered. "Uh… Well, not to say that I haven't…. Uh, yeah… ba-basically… Eve, why do you-"

"Have you ever, you know, tried to go farther or wanted to go farther?" Eve's tilted to the right in curiosity.

"Well, I, er, yeah, I guess… I mean… Just-Just not all the way." Eve's eyebrows jumped into her hat at this; she had thought that was what all guys wanted. "When I told you yesterday that I admire virtue in a girl, it wasn't because I was looking to be someone's first. I-I've sort of told myself that it would be wrong of me to go to bed with my girlfriend because of the possibility of getting her pregnant; I couldn't do that to a girl, make her carry around a… a werewolf's child for nine months. I couldn't destroy a child's life by forcing them to endure such a terrible transformation each month… _if_ they'd become a werewolf, that is… Besides, I've read numerous studies claiming that werewolves are exceptionally, erm…" He swallowed, "_fertile_, especially with their, um… I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Eve." Eve shook her head to signal that he wasn't. "With their, um… animal desires… driving them to, uh…" He looked up at the sky to avoid Eve's face, "mate far more often when they come of age than human men."

Eve covered her lips with her fingers and giggled at the thought.

"At least _someone's_ amused by this," Remus muttered from beneath his hand as it rubbed his face in mortification that he actually had to explain all this to his girlfriend.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. It's just… I don't usually talk about this sort of thing, so… it just struck me as… well, I'm not sure _what_ it struck me as." Eve smiled sincerely to him to show she meant no harm.

"And… And yet you _still_ want to be with me? An inexperienced-at-snogging werewolf boyfriend?"

"Of course!" Eve immediately replied, clutching onto Remus's jacket. "We've already discussed your secret. And, if it's any consolation, I could be considered 'inexperienced' considering I've never courted a werewolf before. I've no idea if I've been doing this properly." She pouted, but Remus saw right through her expression.

"Eve, I appreciate that you're trying to make me feel better, but, really, this isn't necessary."

"Well… What I'm saying _is_ true, if you really think about it… But… Oh, Remus, I just want to help you see that none of that matters to me- your secret, your snogging experience or lack thereof. All that matters to me is that you are yourself; _that's_ what I fancy so much about you: you."

Eve swept the pads of her fingertips along Remus's forehead, and the smile she offered was so tender, Remus felt like a million galleons left out in the sun to melt. The smile slyly twitched into the smirk of Eve's that was reserved for only her most playful moments.

"Something on your mind, Eve?" Remus outlined the contour of her full lips with his index finger.

"Oh, nothing," Eve replied flippantly as she pecked the top of his finger. "I was only thinking that, since you seem so embarrassed about your… lack of snogging experience… that maybe I could help alleviate that for you. _But_," she made a show of glancing over her shoulder at their friends on the lake, "we're not alone."

Remus's skin felt hot beneath her fingertips as she ran them down his chest and abdomen. The contrast between Eve's delicate-as-porcelain and utterly innocent appearance coupled with the thought-numbing feelings her hand was currently evoking along his torso set his mind and body ablaze.

"Well, we'll have to rectify that situation, now won't we?" His hand slid up her side to rub her tummy. Her breath caught in her throat at the action, and she fixed him with a clouded gaze that told him he had better follow through on the promise his words and actions were building up.

Remus's mind raced with different possibilities on how they could acquire privacy and, while his thoughts turned up many suggestions, only one of them was a quick result as he remembered their chasing game the day before and the snog that had ensued behind a tree.

Grinning from ear to ear, the Marauder instructed, "Start running, Eve."

**Author's Note:** _Questions to the readers:_ What did everyone think of this chapter? What does everyone hope will happen in the remaining days of the trial week? What does everyone think of Remus and Eve's relationship? What can I do to improve my writing (no flames, please)?

_Trivia Question:_ I've decided to start asking a trivia question about a previous chapter each time I update. Those who give the correct answer will have their pennames mentioned in the first author's note of the following chapter. _**This will be my way of recognizing my reviewers, since I haven't had the time to do so for the past several months, and I would like to be able to start up again. **_The _trivia question_ for this update is: What is the method Eve uses to determine the order of potions in which to give to Remus when he is in the Hospital Wing after the full moon? I can't wait to read the answers to these questions in everyone's **reviews!**


	42. Trial Week: Day Six: Drawing His Beauty

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note: **I'd like to thank all my loyal readers and reviewers for bearing with me as my updates have grown farther and farther apart. I do try my best to keep writing on a consistent basis, but lately that hasn't been possible. As always, I will continue to try and make my updates closer together. Thank you all so much for understanding!

Over 33,000 hits to this fanfiction! Thanks, everyone!

_**Winners of the Trivia Question:**_ The answer to the trivia question (which was "What is the method Eve uses to determine the order of potions in which to give to Remus when he is in the Hospital Wing after the full moon?") is given in chapter five when Eve explains the method to Remus: "At any rate, generally the order that potions need to be taken in is from most important to least important," though another acceptable answer was also given by Eve in the seventeenth chapter: "I'm trying to figure out which potion is for which broken bone so I can give them to you in the best order," she told him. "They all look so much alike… it's just a matter of if they're transparent, translucent, or opaque. That property alone will tell them apart," though I also accepted answers that were similar to these. The winners are callie258 (Thanks for the long review; I _**loved**_ reading it! Also, I'm happy to read you like Remus and Eve's relationship. Please keep reading and reviewing!), pinkatailmon (I'm glad you think Remus and Eve's relationship is sweet! Aha, you'll have to keep reading to see if the muggle boy Eve used to date makes an appearance! Please keep reading and reviewing!), PonyVamp (Thank you so much for your concern, but I wasn't hurt, just really, really busy! I'm glad you were so excited by the update and liked it so much! Please keep reading and reviewing!), lalaluvbooks (A new reviewer; welcome! I'm glad you enjoy the story so far and are eager for the next chapters! I enjoyed reading everything you had to say about Remus and Eve's relationship. Also, thanks for the long review; I _**loved**_ reading it! Please keep reading and reviewing!), All's Fair (I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! I enjoyed reading that you thought Remus and Eve are cute! Please keep reading and reviewing!), and Deviant Divinity (Thanks for the lengthy review; I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! I'm glad you said you love the story and my writing! Yes, I will definitely try to keep up my updating on a more consistent basis in the future; it's just difficult for me to do so now. Please keep reading and reviewing!). Thanks to everyone else for their reviews! I really appreciate them and I truly enjoy reading them! Thanks to the winners for reviewing with their trivia question answers! Good luck to everyone on this chapter's trivia question!

**Publish Date: **Sunday, March 29, 2009.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Forty-Two: Trial Week: Day Six: Drawing His Beauty

Eve's eyes darted left to right, left to right, entranced, along each line of the page of _The Phantom of the Opera_. Sighing as her eyes went out of focus and stopped reading, Eve daydreamed the Phantom pressing a loving kiss to the top of Christine's head, and it was so soft, so passionate, that Eve almost thought she could feel it, herself…

Remus raised his head from the kiss he'd dropped into her curls that jerked her from her thoughts, and he greeted, "'Morning, Eve. How are you feeling?" He pressed his knuckles to her forehead to feel for a temperature, and then caressed her cheeks, which were rosy from the warm sleep she'd just awoken from.

"I'm fine, thanks." Eve sighed and lowered the book to her stomach as she recalled how Remus had told her to run the day before. They had quickly transfigured their ice skates back into boots, and she took off at a sprint, Remus quick to follow on her heels. They didn't stop until Remus grabbed her and pulled her behind a large, ancient tree for a snog. It wasn't long before Eve began to feel lightheaded, her heart racing and her head swimming at the onset of a vision. She'd clutched tightly into his arms for support and leaned heavily against him as the damaging images flashed before her eyes once more, the same as a previous nightmarish vision.

"_Remus, please don't leave me…"_

She'd then had to shove him away to get sick in the snow, with him apologizing and holding her hair back until she was well again. He'd asked her what she saw, but she, curiously enough, wouldn't relay to him the contents of her premonition. She'd sunken into a somber mood then, one he tried to lighten with a joke of how he hoped his poor kising skills weren't the cause of her falling ill. She'd allowed a ghost of a smile to whisper at her features then, but assured him that it was just the vision that had caused her to vomit. Out of the blue, she'd taken his hand then (which he thought was to help her stand up), but, without moving, told him, "You make me so happy, Remus… You know that, don't you?" He'd swallowed back a lump that had quickly formed in his throat and bobbed his head, thanking her for telling him that.

Leaning her head back, Eve guided Remus's mouth to hers in what was supposed to be a romantic upside down kiss… but missed, and they each pecked the other's chin. Eve pinked, and Remus chuckled before she realigned their mouths and tried once more, this time achieving her goal.

"And a good morning to you, too," she smiled up at him.

"Mm, that was a surprisingly good first," Remus commented with a grin.

"Yeah, I've never tried an upside down kiss before, either," Eve admitted as she clutched her book to her chin to conceal her coy smile.

"Mind if I join you here?" Remus asked as he eyed the couch, currently occupied by Eve's reclined body.

"Not at all, as long as I can rest my feet in your lap." She turned the page of her book.

Remus shrugged as he lifted up her ankles to slide onto the fluffy seat beneath her feet. "You have cute feet, anyway." Eve snorted in disbelief from behind her book. "Ooh… except they're quite red today… What happened?"

"Mm, they're a bit sore from ice skating yesterday. I don't do it very often, so… it took its toll on my feet." She winced and reached down toward her aching foot.

"No, here, allow me." Remus dug the pads of his thumbs into the knotted muscle, causing Eve to stop where she was and grin lazily like a cat. He stopped after a minute to inquire, "Does that feel any better?"

Escaping from her trancelike state, she shook her head and gave his hands a light flick with the back of her foot. "Ew, you don't want to touch my feet! They're icky!"

"Eve, we've already had this conversation." Remus's eyes glistened with amusement at his disgusted girlfriend. "Tell me: Why do you think your feet are gross? Hmm?"

"'Cause they're _feet_, they're gross by default!" Eve whined, making small kicks in the air with her feet for added effect.

Her beau chuckled, a low rumble that fell from his chest so that even her feet could pick up on the vibrations. "I don't know, Eve, I stand by what I said last time: the feet match the girl. Cute feet," he tickled the arch of her foot once, causing her to squeal and jerk away, "for a cute girl." He reached up to tap her once on the nose, but she ducked.

"Ew, you just touched my feet! Don't touch my face until you wash your hands!" Eve demanded with a playful glare over the top of her book.

"Oh, really, Eve, you're blowing this out of proportion. I mean it, you have cute feet… _and_ ankles…"

"Oh, please, there's nothing special about my ankles _or_ my feet." Eve picked up her book and continued reading.

"But there's nothing wrong with them, either."

"I think you're just saying that because you, Mr. Lupin, have a foot fetish." Eve said in a jestingly prim tone from behind her book.

"Can you blame me? With feet like yours, you could get anyone to develop such a foot fixation." Remus began rubbing her foot once more, which immediately made her melt. She released her book facedown onto her chest and felt her joints and bones melt into nothing. The content grin once again resembled that of a feline's, and caused him to laugh.

"You, Eve, are a cat in human's clothing; you just like being pampered."

"I like being pampered _by my boyfriend_," she corrected for him as she stretched lazily against the couch. "A little to the left, please… _Perfect!_"

Remus chuckled under his breath as Eve shut her eyes and made a myriad of contented sounds as he experimented with how much pressure he should apply or how he should massage her foot. When he was through, he said, "There, finished. How was that?"

Eve lifted up her neglected foot and pouted. "This one wants some attention, now."

"Oh, well, Merlin forbid a foot goes unmassaged." Remus took up the duty bestowed on him, and watched and Eve sank back into her contented state once more.

"Mm, now all I have to do is teach you how to do nails and you could give me a pedicure while you're at it!" Eve grinned at her jest, but Remus rolled his eyes.

"Nope; a massage is as far as I'll go. Nice try, though." He winked and finished up the massage. "There, do your feet feel better?"

Eve grinned and nodded. "Lots, thanks."

"Good." He gently lifted her ankles so he could slip out from the couch and kneel by her on the floor. Recalling the promise he'd made to himself the previous day on complimenting Eve each morning when he first saw her, he leaned over her and brushed his hand tenderly down the side of her face. "You look so beautiful, Eve." He spoke gently.

Eve rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop, I look like rubbish; I'm not even wearing any make-up!" She covered her face with her hands.

"Surprisingly few girls can pull off that look." Remus gently pried Eve's wrists apart so her hands were away from her face. "_You_ are one of them."

"You, Mr. Lupin, are a very confusing boy."

"How so?"

"Every other boy on the planet bugs his girlfriend to wear make-up… and then there's you." With a small smile that didn't know whether it should trust his judgment, she continued, "You have a very low standard of beauty if you're telling me I look good without make-up."

"I can't decide whether you just insulted me or yourself." Remus arched a stern eyebrow at Eve. "But I don't like hearing you say these things, especially about yourself."

Eve swallowed. Pulling a curl behind her ear, she shrugged. "It's true, though."

"Says who? Who's said these things to you? Who tells their girlfriend she needs to wear make-up to look pretty?"

Eve cleared her throat and turned her glance away from him, acting as if she hadn't heard him speak.

"Ah, I see: Vladimir." Releasing a breath, he asked, "How could you have thought he was nice when you dated him?"

Eve shrugged once more and scratched her forehead. "He'd always apologize, and I forgave him."

Remus sighed. As much as he found Eve's kindness to be an attractive trait, he felt she could be too generous at times, and this was one of them. There _were_ words that could be said or actions that could be made that would be impossible to forgive, and more than understandably so. And yet, true to her character, she continued to grant her pardon to every last rudeness Vladimir had committed to her, and even mistook his endless apologies for kindheartedness.

"I am not Vladimir." He asserted. Eve slowly lifted her eyes to meet his. "I'm not going to tell you what to do with your appearance, and I'm certainly not going to force you to mask your beauty behind layers of make-up. Do what _you_ want to do to feel pretty, but don't ever do something just because you think it'll make you more beautiful _for me_. 'Sides," he winked, "it's sort of difficult to improve upon beauty that's already goddess-like." He felt Eve's cheek warm beneath his fingertips, and, with a smile he whispered to her, "I want to draw you."

Eve's face fell as Remus rose and headed toward the staircase. "I'll be right back, I want to grab my sketchbook."

Eve sat up and, in a flurry, dashed to her set of stairs before Remus paused on one step and, without looking at her, said, "If you even think about putting on make-up after the discussion we've just had, I'll be very cross with you." He continued on his way up the stairs, leaving a bewildered Eve caught between two stairs.

She nervously nibbled on a finger as she glanced up the stairs hopefully and then back at the staircase that led to the boys' dormitory. With a sigh, she resigned herself to a make-up-less portrait and slumped back down the stairs, plopping down on the windowsill and making a frail attempt to make sure her hair was at least decent.

Remus returned with his drawing book, a fine-tipped quill, and an ink bottle in hand. His face slackened with relief when he found that she'd followed his request. "Thank you, Eve. I appreciate it."

He sat with her on the window seat and said, "Alright, let's begin, shall we?"

Eve bobbed her head shyly. "How would you like me to pose?"

Remus itched his chin with the tip of his quill and pondered. "Here, lie down on your tummy." He stood up and moved away to give her some room on the windowsill to complete this task. Once she had done so, he sat before her and instructed, "Now… clasp your hands together… and tilt your head…" She did so. "And… um… arch an eyebrow, perhaps?" She did so, but more in a questioning manner rather than an understanding one. "I'm going for a curious look from you; you're so cute when you're curious." He grinned, and she blushed.

"Oh, really? And when do you catch me looking 'curious'?"

"Well," Remus crossed his legs and leaned on his sketchbook, "When a professor says something that intrigues you, you get this insatiably curious expression on your face until you raise your hand, are called on, and have your question answered."

Eve lowered her head and giggled, her nose scrunching up absent-mindedly.

"Perfect! Keep that nose crinkled up!" Remus chuckled and readied his quill over his parchment. "Ready, Eve?"

"Yes, okay," Eve replied once she'd composed herself. She posed herself once more for him, making sure to make her features appear curious by arching an eyebrow, scrunching her nose, putting on a small smile, and squinting her eyes ever so slightly.

Remus began lightly outlining her features into the parchment before filling it in with darker, more decisive lines that further detailed her features. His quill swooped around one, two, three, four, five fingers on each hand, etched in the detailing of the dress she wore, swirled her curls onto her head, and saved his favorite part—her face—for last.

The ink plummeted down her nose and curved her smiling lips onto her face. Now, for her eyes—those beautiful eyes. He slowly inked their almond shape onto the page before flicking her thick eyelashes onto them. He drew her pupils in before wiping the excess ink onto the lip of the ink bottle to lightly color in her gray eyes.

After he had finished with her face, he looked over his work once and blew on it to make it dry, solidifying her features onto the page.

"Here, have a look; I've finished." Remus held out the drawing so Eve could see, and she sat up to get a better look.

Turning, she pecked his cheek and murmured, gazing up at him adoringly, "It's so beautiful, Remus."

"_You're_ so beautiful, Eve," Remus replied, turning to look across his shoulder at her. "Don't cover your pretty face with make-up?"

Eve buried her head into his shoulder modestly.

"_Or_ my shoulder?" Remus chuckled.

Slowly lifting her pink face up, she teased, "Hmm… I think I could be persuaded to… _if_ you draw me again."

Smooching her forehead, Remus could only agree. "It would be my pleasure."

**Author's Note: **_Questions for the Readers:_ What did everyone think of this chapter? How does everyone feel knowing there is only one day left in the trial week?

_Trivia Question:_ What is the name of the stuffed animal Remus had when he was young?

I can't wait to read the answers to these questions in everyone's reviews!


	43. Trial Week: Day Seven: Healing Her Werew

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** As always, I'd like to take the time to thank all the readers and reviewers of this fanfiction. I really appreciate your reviews and the time you take to read this story. Thank you all!

This fanfiction has received over 40,000 hits. Thanks again, everyone!

I'm terribly sorry in the exceedingly long delay this chapter had. I hope the chapter makes up for the time it has taken to post it, and I'll try hard not to let such a long period of time go in between updates again. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers for their continued support!

**_Winners of the Trivia Question: _**The answer to the trivia question was Woofie, but I accepted Wolfie and Woolfie, as well, because it's close enough and it's the thought that counts. The winners are: callie258 (I'm happy to hear that you liked the description in the last chapter! I'm also glad that you want Remus and Eve to stay together! Thanks for reading and please continue reviewing!), sunshine'n'sarcasm (I'm glad you like Remus and Eve together! I'm flattered to hear that you think this story is "fantastic" and "creative"! Thanks for reading and please continue reviewing!), Psycho8 (I'm happy to hear that you liked the last chapter! Thanks for reading and please continue reviewing!), Lalaluvbooks (I'm glad to hear you want Remus and Eve to stay together after the trial week! I'm happy you're enjoying the story! Thanks for reading and please continue reviewing!), Totally CRAZY and Hyper (I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you for reading and please keep reviewing!), PonyVamps (I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Thank you for reading and please continue reviewing!), Kairi0403 (I'm glad you want Remus and Eve to stay together! I'm very flattered that this is your favorite RemusOC fanfiction! I hope it still is? Thanks for reading and please continue reviewing!), FanOfEverything100 (I'm glad you want Remus and Eve to stay together! Thanks for reading and please continue reviewing!), fakeXaXsmile (Thank you for reading and please continue reviewing!), Desi-Pari Always (I'm thrilled you enjoy the fanfiction! I'm glad you find some of Remus's dialogue amusing! Thanks for reading and please continue reviewing!), JonBon 3 (I'm thrilled you like the fanfiction and how "NON-cliche" it is! I'm glad you like how Remus is written! Thank you for reading and please continue reviewing!), Shnitzel (I'm flattered you find this fanfiction "brilliant" and that Eve is one of your favorite OCs! Thank you for reading and please continue reviewing!), KajiMori (I'm flattered that you "absolutely adore" this fanfiction, and that your friend likes it, too! I'm glad you like Eve! Thank you for reading and please continue reviewing!), Silken Danser (Thank you for the wonderful suggestions! Answer to your question: So far, Peter in this fanfiction is good. I'm flattered that you "absolutely love" this fanfiction! Thank you for reading and please continue reviewing!), Scarlet-Black-Rose (I'm glad that you think Remus and Eve are "one of the best Remus/Oc pairings"! Thank you for reading and please continue reviewing!), and RueNeko (I'm flattered that you're motivated to write after reading this fanfiction! I'm glad that you like Eve! Thank you for reading and please continue reviewing!). Thanks to all who answered the trivia question! Another trivia question (and other questions) is available in the author's note at the end of the chapter! Please review!

**Publish Date:** Sunday, August 30, 2009.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Forty-Three: Trial Week: Day Seven: Healing Her Werewolf

"What happened to you three?" Eve asked as Sirius, James, and Peter slumped down the steps and hobbled into the common room. "You look like you saw Death, itself."

"Well, the way Remus was cryin' out in his sleep last night… Well," Peter began around a yawn, "you'd think he'd _seen_ Death, itself."

"What?" Eve asked as she rose from her seat in a panic. "What happened to him? Is he alright?"

"Oh, he's doin' alright." Sirius rubbed his eye and stepped closer to Eve to tell her in a whisper. "See, during this time of the month, he usually gets sick, and the nightmares just won't give him a moment's rest. When he was with you before, they subsided quite a bit… but now…" He scratched his head. "Well, I just don't understand why he feels unwell now."

_Could it be that… that he's upset that we may not be together much longer?_ Eve thought to herself.

"Here," Sirius offered, taking Eve's arm. "Why don't you go up and pay him a visit, hm? I'm sure he'd feel scads better if he saw you."

"Good idea. Maybe I could even help him heal," Eve replied, following Sirius up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

When they entered the room, Eve approached Remus's bed and surveyed him. He looked pale to her, and seemed cold, since he was curled up tightly beneath his blankets and even appeared to have several more covers on than was allotted to a student.

"Yeah, he's real cold, Eve," Sirirus murmured to her. "The three of us gave him our blankets last night and he _still_ won't stop shivering. You have to do something."

"I'll do my best, Sirius," Eve promised as she perched on the edge of the mattress. The Marauders left the room to leave Remus and Eve alone.

Eve stroked Remus's bangs and whispered to herself, "Remus… what's happening to you?"

Remus, eyes still shut, inquired, "Now what's a beautiful girl like you doing cooped up on a lovely day with a bloke like me?"

Eve rolled her eyes. "First off, you haven't even opened your eyes to see if I look at all 'beautiful' today like you say I do—"

Remus cracked an eye open. "Well, there's a surprise: you're as jaw-droppingly gorgeous as always."

Her next words died temporarily on her tongue as she bowed her head modestly. Finding her train of thought once more, she bought her gaze back to him and added, "And secondly, it's supposed to snow badly today; the weather isn't at all 'lovely'."

"So go get one of your friends and do something—find Anna and braid each other's hair, or whatever. There's no sense in you locking yourself away all day when there are scads of better things for you to be doing." He shut his eye again and curled up tighter into himself.

Eve brushed her hand across Remus's forehead, which caused him to squint his eyes up at her. "You know there's nowhere I'd rather be than here with you, Remus. If you don't feel well enough to go outside, then I'm staying inside."

Remus's face slowly sprouted into a smile, and his eyes opened once more. "You have got to be the most stubborn… yet wonderful girl I've ever met." With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, he continued, "But, what will we do? I mean, we're all cooped up in here. What can we possibly do to keep ourselves occupied?"

"Well," Eve grinned and playing into his little game, "I suppose we'll just have to _resort_ to snuggling and flirting… and we might just have to read to each other at some point."

"I _suppose_ those activities will have to do." Remus winked and abandoned his game as he pleaded, "Could we start with the snuggling?"

Eve giggled and moved to sit with him. "Of course we could." She held out her arms to him and he immediately moved to prop his head up against her stomach. He smooched her tummy and hugged her waist tightly. She giggled again, and pulled the multiple blankets up and around his shoulders. Eve tucked him in to make sure he stayed warm.

"How are you feeling?" Eve inquired, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead.

"Better now that you're here," Remus replied with a grin.

Eve cradled his face in her hands, brushing the stray hair away. "I'm not happy with your color—you're very pale. And you're too warm, and you shouldn't feel this cold. Are you hungry?"

Remus shook his head.

Eve's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't like that, either. I'm going to get you some food and something to drink, and I want to you eat it all, alright?"

Remus pouted.

"Alright?" Prodded Eve.

He nodded and teased, "Alright, alright, Miss Bossy."

"Alright. I'll be right back." Eve moved to stand, but Remus whined and tightened his grip on her.

"Remus, I need to get you some food!" Eve chuckled.

Remus whimpered playfully and dropped a kiss to her stomach. "Well, I'm more comfortable with you here, but I _suppose_ I can let you go if you hurry back."

"I'll hurry back," Eve promised as he released her. She rushed to the Great Hall and gathered the most protein-filled food she could find, so it would give him more energy in the long-run, as well as some sugary foods for an immediate burst of energy. She also made sure to grab something that would motivate him to consume all his food.

Eve emerged into the boys' dormitory and set the plate and two goblets down on the small table by his bed. Remus set down the book he had been reading while she was away.

"Alright, so, here's the deal," Eve began, gesturing at the platter, "if you eat _all_ this, _and_ drink all the water in this goblet, you get to have a yummy drink of hot chocolate." She dangled the goblet just beyond his reach, but still close enough that he could smell it. He eyed the cup longingly, and playfully glared at Eve for making him eat everything else before he could have his treat. "If you don't eat everything, _I_ get to drink the hot chocolate."

Eve laughed at how quickly Remus dug into the food on his plate. "Slow down! Slow down! I don't want you to get nauseous!" She popped a couple of grapes into her mouth from a dish she made for herself. "I chose this food based on what I know you like to eat and what would be most beneficial to you right now."

After scarfing down the last of the food, Remus looked at her expectantly for his reward.

Eve grinned mischievously at him over the rim of the goblet of hot chocolate, which she tipped at her mouth to take a sip.

"Hey!" Remus complained as she handed him the rest of the drink. "You stole some of my drink."

"On the contrary," Eve explained with a wink as she sat down next to him once more, "I merely borrowed it without asking and without intent to return it."

Remus pouted, but drank the hot chocolate, nevertheless.

"You look a little better, already, Remus." Eve smiled and brushed the bangs away from his forehead. "What were you reading when I walked in?"

"Oh, just a book of mythology." Remus finished the hot chocolate and set it down before resting his head against her stomach once more.

"Ooh, read it to me!"

He grinned sheepishly up at her. "It's the myth about Remus."

"Ooh, then I _really_ want to hear it!" Eve encouraged, caressing his shoulder.

Remus reached for his book and cleared his throat. "'_The Myth of Romulus and Remus_. One day, Mars, the Roman god of war, gazed down to earth and spotted a beautiful maiden, Rhea Silvia. The two fell in love immediately and produced twin boys, Romulus and Remus, as a result of their love. Although Rhea Silvia loved her sons very much, she knew she couldn't take care of them, and so left them by a river in a forest. She prayed to the gods that her sons would be found and raised successfully. Her prayers were answered when a she-wolf wondered alongside the river, found the pair of babies, and cared for them. She raised them as her own until they had grown into young men. Romulus became an athletic man, and enjoyed sparring and training and improving his fitness. On the other hand, Remus'—this is the part where I kicked."

Eve arched an eyebrow in confusion.

"You know: My mum was reading this myth when she was pregnant with me. She read the name Remus when I kicked for the first time, and she decided to give me the name."

"Oh, yes, now I remember discussing this before!" Eve smiled down at him, encouraging him to continue.

Remus scanned the page until he came to his place. "'On the other hand, Remus was intellectually superior, and found pleasure in expanding his knowledge through reading and studying.'"

Eve giggled. "Your mum certainly picked out the right name for you!"

Remus faked an offended gasp. "Miss Pankhart! Are you suggesting that I'm only brain, not brawn?"

"Well, I'm sure you're both, Remus! But your talents definitely lie in academics." Twirling a curl coyly around her finger, she added, "You know, I wouldn't mind a display of your brawn sometime."

With a snort, Remus quipped, "Remind me to lift a building for you someday."

"Oh, Remus, don't tease me."

"Trust me, Eve, Sirius and James are the brawn of the group."

"Well," Eve shimmied her shoulders shyly, "I'm sure being a mythical being has its advantages."

While Remus didn't particularly like discussing his condition, the direction she was taking it in certainly raised his self-esteem. "Well, you wouldn't be wrong in saying that." He grinned.

Eve covered her mouth and burst into giggles. Remus nuzzled his cheek into her tummy. "Please keep reading; I'm getting too excited!"

Remus picked up his book. "'One day, Romulus and Remus were exploring, and they discovered land yet unfounded. Both wanted to claim and name the land after themselves, and so began to brawl'—"

"No, mm-mm," Eve interrupted, shaking her head and covering the page with her hand. "We won't be ruining our day together by reading how Romulus killed Remus and named the land Rome."

"It's only a story, Evie—"

"I don't care. Especially at times like these with You-Know-Who coming to power, I refuse to listen to any sentence containing your name and the word 'killed' in it."

Remus looked down at the book with her hand on it, and thought of an alternative. "Okay, well, maybe we could make a new ending together?"

Eve smiled brightly. "Ooh, I like that idea!"

"How's this: Romulus used his shield to defend himself against a blow from Remus's sword and hit it into his head. Remus fell, wounded, to the ground. Unable to get up—"

"Remus! I don't want to hear this!" Eve scolded.

"Just wait, I have an idea: Unable to get up, Remus prayed that he would somehow find the strength to finish what he had begun. Suddenly, a bright light bloomed before him. He shielded his eyes with his hand and, after removing his hand, found the most beautiful sight he could've imagined: the goddess Eve."

Eve giggled and blushed.

"This goddess had piercing gray eyes and curly brown hair that cascaded down a golden hairpiece entwined with ivy vines. Her toga was of the finest white silk… and she carried a chocolate bar as her scepter."

Eve snorted in amusement.

"Eve's beauty rivaled that of Aphrodite, herself."

"Ew, don't compare me to _her!_" Eve's face wrinkled with disgust.

"Wha-? Why not? That was meant to be a compliment!" Remus defended.

"But she cheated on her husband! I don't want to be compared to that! I would _never_ cheat!"

"Okay, okay: She was more beautiful than even the most beautiful of goddesses. Happy?"

Eve blushed and smiled shyly in response and slipped her hand into his. "Mind if I give this a go?" Remus shook his head. "Eve knelt by the wounded Remus and helped him lift his head up.

"'My lord,' she began, placing a hand to his chest," Eve placed her own hands beneath his head and on his chest, just like her story double, "'you have proven to be a brave warrior—but one of the mind, which I value most highly. Eat, now, from my grapes of wisdom.'" Eve held a bunch of grapes over Remus's mouth for him to eat from, which he did with a grin. "'And knowledge and mercy shall be yours. I shall be yours, too, if—"

"If what?" Remus blurted out, thoroughly engrossed in the story. He watched as Eve's face upturned to one of amusement at his outburst. "Er… Remus… asked… with interest," came his attempt at continuing the story.

"'If I may grant you a kiss.'" Remus nodded his head rapidly, and Eve chuckled. She leaned down and kissed his mouth. "After the pair kissed—"

"Remus immediately wanted another kiss from the beautiful goddess." Remus reached up to cup her face.

"Oh, no, we're not starting this up again! First at Hogsmeade, and now—"

"Only one more! Please?" Remus faked a rather pathetic cough. "For your sickly boyfriend?"

"Yeah, yeah, you've seemed _so_ sickly all this time, what with your joking and your story-telling. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were faking being ill to get me to spend more time with you, which, by the way, is completely unnecessary—I'll spend time with you whenever you want!"

"Your presence—and kiss—has healed me, oh Healer goddess Eve." Remus claimed with a cheeky grin. Quickly reverting to a pout, he pleaded once more, "Please?"

Eve rolled her eyes and gave in to his request. She tried pulling away, but he had placed his hand behind her head in hopes of deepening the kiss. Against Remus's wishes, she pulled away.

"_Eeeve!_" Remus complained.

"What? You asked for one kiss and I gave it to you." She batted her eyelashes innocently at him.

"But-but-but… But I want another one, now!"

"No." Eve smirked playfully at him.

"Why… Why are you being so difficult?" A defeated Remus pouted.

"Just because." Eve threw a coy wink over her shoulder at him.

Remus thought for a minute, and then gave a very Marauder-esque grin that made Eve shiver. "I know what's going on: You're playing hard-to-get! You little minx!"

Eve's tongue wriggled between her teeth, showing Remus that he was right.

"What? I'm a goddess: I'm supposed to remain aloof from mortals!" She teased.

Remus raised up so that he was eyelevel with her. "Mark my words, Eve, I _will_ get my snog from you."

"Mm, I can hardly wait. But, until then, let's finish this story, shall we?"

"Yes, of course: After the pair kissed, Remus was miraculously healed and felt strength enough to defeat his brother in battle. He knocked him to the ground and aimed his sword at him.

"'Surrender now,' Remus declared, 'and I shall show you mercy. Fight back, and I shall not.'

"Romulus stared up at his brother for a moment before tossing his sword off to the side in defeat. Remus sheathed his sword and returned to the goddess Eve.

"Wrapping an arm around her, he declared to her, 'This land is now and forevermore to be called Rema, after me, Remus, its king, with you as my queen.'"

"And they lived happily ever after. The end."

Remus purposely added: "And Remus got all the kisses he wanted from his gorgeous, wonderful, caring, affectionate goddess Eve."

Eve knew that he was trying to flatter her for the snog he so wanted, but decided he could have the kisses; he did, after all, wait for them.

Eve leaned down and granted his request.

.x:X:x.

"_Remus!_" Eve scolded once she caught sight of her throat in the levitating compact mirror before her. "What did I tell you during our snog?"

Putting on a feminine voice, Remus recited, "'Ooh, Remus, that tickles'?"

Eve lightly smacked his arm with the back of her hand. "No: 'Don't leave a mark'. You left a mark, and a bloody dark one at that!"

"Mm, good." Remus's voice rumbled low in his chest, and Eve could feel it through her back. Leaning up to press more kisses to the opposite side of her neck, he suggested, "Maybe this'll show that bloody Vladimir that he needs to keep his hands to himself and off my girl!"

"How am I supposed to cover this up?" Eve fretted. "I don't think my make-up can, and the whole school doesn't need to know our business."

"Dunno. Maybe there's a spell for it." Remus eyed the pale column on the other side of Eve's throat. "Maybe I should give you another one right over here, just to make sure he doesn't bother you—"

Eve glared at him over her shoulder. "Don't you dare, Remus Lupin." She eyed him—he seemed uncharacteristically arrogant of the fact that he'd left a mark on her. "What's with you? You're not acting at all like yourself."

Remus's face slowly dropped. She was right: had it been any other day, he would've heeded her request and, even if he had accidentally left a mark, he would've immediately apologized, not flaunted the fact that he'd marked her as his. But this was no ordinary day: this was the day of the full moon, and the wolf, though controlled by the moon, was already making his presence known.

Immediately, he released her from his grip. "I-I'm terribly sorry, Eve, I… I don't know what came over me." _Oh, yes you do,_ the miserable thought entered his head as he caught sight of the last rays of sun receding from the horizon, _you know just what came over you: The wolf… he's marking Eve as yours._

Eve twittered on about how she'd have to check all her spell books for something that would fade the mark. "Maybe there's a potion or a cream of some sort I could make to hide it. What do you think, Remus?"

That mark was way too close for Remus's liking. He quickly rose to stand before Eve and, donning thicker clothing over the outfit he already wore to help him stay warm on his fast-approaching trek to the Whomping Willow, replied, "I think…" He sighed, lost for words. Eve watched him as he purposely kept his back to her. Finally, his shoulders slumped, and he spoke so softly, Eve could barely here him. "I think I got too close to biting you."

"What?" Eve asked, rising to her feet. "What are you talking about? So you left a mark—in the grand scheme of things, this isn't exactly the worst—"

"Eve, I came _that_ close to your blood. It's _just_ beneath your skin, now." He turned to look at her as he said this. "I… I can't… be that close anymore… ever again." Remus gazed down at his hands mutinously, as if he couldn't believe that he had touched her. "I couldn't control it… the moon… it's so close… it is _so_ close… if I had just broken your skin, I…"

Eve stepped to him as he warred with himself. She moved his palms together and encircled her hands around his. "But you didn't, and you're worrying too much. Again. Don't you see, Remus?" Her hands lifted to hold his face, "I trust you. I know you'd never actually—"

Remus moved away from her embrace as if burned. "You're too trusting of me, Eve. Which is why it could've happened. Which is why it was so much easer for it to happen."

Eve shook her head sadly at him. "Remus, please… learn to trust yourself a little more—"

"No, Eve! I can't and I won't! You can never trust a werewolf, because the next thing you know, you'll _be_ one of them! One of us!" Remus exclaimed, gesturing to himself.

Keeping her voice calm and low, Eve slowly approached him. "Remus, of course I trust you. In fact, I—"

The door to the boys' dormitory flew open, and the three Marauders emerged. "Moony, we gotta get goin' soon. The moon—" Sirius grabbed for the sleeve of Remus's sweater and began tugging him to follow.

"No." Sirius had never heard Eve speak so firmly before. Without releasing Remus's arm, he stopped and stared at her as she reached up to fist into his shirt. "Remus Lupin the werewolf, I've got something to say to you: I adore you, Remus, all of you—you _and_ the wolf—and I don't care who knows _or_ sees."

"Sees what?" Sirius was able to utter before Eve passionately fused her mouth to Remus's.

All three Marauders' eyes gaped at the sight, especially Peter, who had turned a funny shade of red.

Remus's hands attached themselves to Eve's waist. Sirius released his grip on the wizard's arm. Eve's fingers curled into Remus's hair. The three Marauders exchanged wide-eyed, shocked glances. The couple's mouths opened to one another, allowing the other access to paradise. The Marauders quickly exited.

Eve pressed Remus back against the wall and lifted onto her tiptoes to deepen the kiss. Remus responded by burying his hands deeply into her curls and pulling her against him.

Eve pulled a breath away and panted, "Remus… if you're going to break up with me… do it now. Tell me… Tell me you hate me. Tell me you never want to see me again." She begged him as tears welled in her eyes.

Remus felt then as if he were choking on his own heart. How could he possibly tell the crying, pleading, trembling girl in front of him that held the affections in the palm of her hand that he hated her? That he never wanted to see her again?

"I can't, Eve. You know that's not how I feel about you." Remus's thumbs wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks.

Eve's lips twitched up into a tiny smile. "Then… Then you're happy with me? You… You still fancy me?"

With those few words, Remus's resolved cracked and crashed. His lips dived for hers and basked in her warmth, the warmth she always offered to him without fail, as undeserving as he felt.

He felt her clutch his shirt with more enthusiasm now, and in that moment he felt just how much she fancied him, how much she thought she needed him.

He broke the kiss. "Of course I am; of course I do."

He glanced out the window and saw the faint outline of glow that emanated from the moon just over the mountain. It could be viewed, he knew, just before the moon itself rose.

Holding her precious face in his hands, he told her, "Promise me you'll stay in the tower tonight and won't leave until daybreak."

Eve immediately nodded. "I promise."

Remus stole one last fierce kiss from her lips before dashing out the door and down the stairs.

Eve touched her lips with the tips of her fingers. They cooled without his lips pressed against them, like a candle whose flame had been blown out, and she'd wondered if her lips would ever know what it was like to have them warmed by his ever again.

**Author's Note:** _I have an announcement to make:_ I've decided not to continue this fanfiction until Remus and Eve's graduation—instead, I plan that the next chapter will be the last. Also, _if I can find the time_, I would like to have a sequel to this fanfiction. If I do, it will most likely be called: _Scripted in the Sky_. It may be wise to put me on your author alert lists so that if and when the next fanfiction is published and updated, you will know about it. I plan to have _Scripted in the Sky_ be a collection of different points in Eve's and Remus's (and possibly others') lives (whether or not they stay together beyond this fanfiction everyone will have to read and find out!) set after _Written in the Stars_. The chapters would most likely not be in chronological order, and even might not follow a specific storyline or plot—I have these ideas in my head that I'd like to write down, but I'm too busy with other things in my life to really write out another storyline. Check out my profile for updates on this idea. I hope everyone likes this plan!

_Random Question:_ What does everyone think of the announcement (written in the above paragraph)? I want to hear everyone's thoughts and feedback. _Chapter Questions:_ What does everyone think about this chapter? What does everyone think about this day being the last of the trial week? What are everyone's thoughts on the events that occurred? What are people thinking about the next day in the fanfiction (and the last chapter, at that)? _Trivia Question:_ Who did Remus and Eve attend the Halloween Ball with? I can't wait to hear the answers to these questions in everyone's _**reviews**_! I encourage as many of my readers as possible to review, especially to this chapter, so I know how many people are reading! Thank you!


	44. Vision Time

**Disclaimer:** _Harry Potter_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing except Eve Pankhart, Dawn Pankhart, Mrs. Sternstone, Anna Twitter, Cynthia Young, Derek Gotter, and any other character not of J.K. Rowlng's creation that are original characters of my own creation, and my plot idea for this fanfiction, which comes from my imagination. _The Phantom of the Opera_ and all its characters, creations, and such belong to Gaston Leroux and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have not written this fanfiction to benefit me in any way, shape, or form; I am merely using my imagination in addition to J.K. Rowling's and Gaston Leroux's and/or Andrew Lloyd Webber's characters, creations, and such to produce this fanfiction for my entertainment and enjoyment, nothing more.

**Author's Note:** As promised, the final chapter of _Written in the Stars_. It's been great writing it, and I'm glad so many people have taken the time to read and review. It's been a real pleasure, and I hope everyone will keep their eyes out for the sequel, _Scripted in the Sky_. Keep checking my profile—I may post when the first chapter will be up. I hope to hear everyone's thoughts and opinions on this chapter in their reviews!

_There is a new question section I am introducing in the author's note at the bottom. Make sure to check it out after you're finished reading!_

This fanfiction has received over 46,000 hits! Thanks, everyone!

_**Winners of the Trivia Question:**_ The answer to the trivia question was: Eve attended the Halloween Ball with Sirius and Remus attended with Anna (but I accepted other answers, as well). RueNeko (I'm glad you think Remus and Eve are "cute" together, and that you like Eve's ending to the myth better. Please keep reading and reviewing! I hope you read and review _Scripted in the Sky_!), screamxheart (I'm glad you're excited for the sequel; I am, too! I'm flattered you think chapter forty-three was "mind blowing." I guess you'll just have to read this chapter to find out if Remus and Eve stay together! Please keep reading and reviewing! I hope you read and review _Scripted in the Sky_!), invisible-gurl (I'm happy to hear you "love" Eve and Remus! I guess you'll just have to read this chapter to find out if they stay together! Please keep reading and reviewing! I hope you read and review _Scripted in the Sky_!), JonBon (Hello, again! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I'm sorry you're sad that there's only this last chapter left, but at least there's the sequel to look forward to. Well, I guess you'll just have to read this chapter to find out if Remus and Eve stay together! Please keep reading and reviewing! I hope you read and review _Scripted in the Sky_!), Shnitzel (I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter and that you like Remus and Eve together. That was exactly what I was thinking of doing with the sequel when I came up with the idea for it: a collection of one-shots [and possibly some portions of the characters' lives that are longer than just a one-shot] of their lives after the ending of this fanfiction. I really enjoyed the lengthy review you left last time. Please keep reading and reviewing! I hope you read and review _Scripted in the Sky_!), Desi-Pari Always (I'm glad you like the idea for the sequel. Basically, the sequel will be a collection of one-shots [and possibly some times of characters' lives that are longer than a one-shot] of their lives after the ending of this fanfiction. Please keep reading and reviewing! I hope you read and review _Scripted in the Sky_!), KajiMori (Hello, again! I'm glad you were so excited of the last update, and that there will be a sequel! I enjoyed reading how much you like Remus and Eve together. I think it's cool that you and your friend [JonBon] talk about this fanfiction [as I remember one of you saying so in a previous review]. You two have been such great fans and I hope to see both of you review this chapter and the sequel! Please keep reading and reviewing! I hope you read and review _Scripted in the Sky_!), Lady-Plague-6661 (I'm flattered that you enjoyed reading this fanfiction and that you like Remus and Eve together. I guess you'll just have to read this chapter and see if Remus and Eve stay together or not! I enjoyed reading your lengthy review! Please keep reading and reviewing! I hope you read and review _Scripted in the Sky_!), and Squid7000 (First of all, thank you so much for reading this fanfiction and reviewing so much! I really appreciated it and looked forward to reading the latest of your reviews! I'm glad you like this fanfiction so much, and am happy you've told me how you feel about the different chapters. Please keep reading and reviewing! I hope you read and review _Scripted in the Sky_!).

**Publish Date: **Monday, December 21, 2009.

_**Written in the Stars**_

Chapter Forty-Four: Vision Time

Eve perched on the ledge at the window in the girls' dormitory, gazing out at the rising sun with tired, grim eyes. Between her hands on her lap sat Woofie, who'd been her sole companion for the past hour. After she left Remus the night before, she went to bed (or at least tried to) only to be met with restlessness. She tossed and turned all night, images of Remus haunting her—Remus transforming, Remus screaming in agony, Remus in the Hospital Wing with more injuries than ever before, Remus ending their relationship in her vision…

Eve released a shaky breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her vision. Was it really going to come true today? Squeezing her eyes shut and gripping Woofie tightly, she hoped to Merlin it wouldn't, that she was only a beginner psychic and her visions shouldn't always come true.

Watching the sun finally ascend above the horizon, Eve glanced down at Woofie once more. His eyes seemed hopeful to her, somehow. She hugged the stuffed animal to herself and desperately wished with every cell in her body that, just this once in her life, her vision was wrong.

.x:X:x.

Remus woke to an odd sensation working its way up his left arm. When he opened his eyes, he found Eve lightly running her hands up his arm, stopping every couple of inches to squeeze. She was trying to find any breaks in the bones, since she had felt his right arm was broken.

Eve looked up as he stirred. Mustering up a watery smile, she spoke in voice that was scarcely a whisper, "Hey, you. How-How are you feeling?"

How was he feeling? His body had been ravaged and, what was worse, he was about to pass the most devastating verdict of his life on her. The unwavering hope he found in her eyes as he gazed at her tired face was almost his undoing. Almost.

"I… don't know how to answer that." He looked down at the sheets covering his body. She had finally taken his advice on not wearing any make-up, and he suddenly found himself wishing he hadn't told her to not to bother—her natural appearance was beautiful, which only made what he knew he had to do to protect her more difficult on him.

Eve's smile became puzzled, but did not falter, nonetheless. They sat in tense silence as Eve applied a cool, creamy salve onto his shoulder to mend the gash there. Remus shut his eyes against her kindness; she shouldn't be doing this. She shouldn't feel the need to be doing this for him: there was no longer an official understanding between them. This morning officially marked the end of their one-week trial… but still, she persisted.

"Feel any better?" Eve inquired gently after tending to his shoulder.

Remus shrugged his right shoulder, his eyes still evading hers. "As good as I could possibly feel right now, I suppose."

Eve's eyebrows furrowed at his lack of enthusiasm toward her visit. She'd thought he would've been overjoyed to see her there—that it would reaffirm to him how strong her feelings were.

She was sure that, by being there for him and showing him that she cared, she could somehow, someway, make her vision false by showing him that they should stay together.

"What's wrong?" she cooed to him, sweeping his mussed bangs from his face.

Eve felt the devastating emotions that crossed Remus's face as his adam's apple bobbed and his eyes reddened.

"I… I don't think this is going to work… that _we_ are going to work…"

Eve's third eye immediately recalled her vision, showing her in choppy images what was to be said between them. She gripped the container of healing cream in her hand so tightly her fist trembled around it. The next thing she realized, it was clattering to the floor, spewing its contents beneath the cot. She was pressing her palms to her forehead, not knowing if the words she heard were simply being repeated from the vision that echoed in her ears or if they were actually passing her lips.

"Aren't… Aren't you happy with me?" She pleaded, suddenly feeling drained. Her vision was coming true. She'd thrown herself and everything she had into the trial week to avert this catastrophe, and it was materializing right in front of her eyes.

Eve squeezed her eyes shut as she mouthed the words that Remus spoke next precisely when they left his mouth.

"That… That is beside the point, Eve. We can't be together." Remus slowed his speech toward the end and furrowed his eyebrows as he watched Eve correctly mouth his words to herself. How was this possible? She sprang up from the edge of the cot, and Remus caught a frantic, panicked look in her eyes he had never seen before on her.

Remus bit back the words he truly wanted to reveal to her; the words that described everything he felt for her, even if all he could tell her was that words _couldn't_ describe what he felt for her for giving him a chance, even after he neglected to care for her the night after she wandered so willingly into the Forbidden Forest, just like she'd so willingly stayed with him after he'd made his blackest confession to her.

Eve's breath was shallow and quick as she turned to the window at the sunlight flooding the cubicle. How could it be so radiant and peaceful outside when on the inside she felt dark from the oncoming storm.

"Oh… Oh, no…" Eve whimpered, as the rain from the storm within her rolled down her cheeks. Turning to him so he could see her face, she pleaded, "Remus… Please, Remus… Please don't leave me."

Remus's eyes widened as his mind raced back to Christmas day, when he had to carry Eve to this very cubicle, only to hear her repeat those very words over and over again. _No wonder she didn't tell me what she saw_…

From beyond the closed curtain, Eve heard Sirius—who had left Eve and Remus alone as soon as she arrived—murmur something apologetically to Anna. Eve heard the resounding crack as her best friend slapped Remus's across the face. She heard the chair scrape against the floor, along with Anna choking out, "You already dumped me once, Sirius Black, make up your bloody mind already!" With that, Anna's heels clicked against the floor as she thundered off.

"Eve," Remus breathed. He shifted on the cot so his body faced hers completely. "You saw this before today. You know how this ends." They weren't questions—he knew.

Eve was combing through her mane with her fingers obsessively, as if she didn't know how else to handle this situation. "Why didn't you just dump me last night? I gave you the perfect chance to!" Her voice wavered violently as she paced in front of him. "You know how much I adore you, Remus, you know it; you've known since I told you about my three former boyfriends. I would do anything to help you see that…" She stopped before the window and gazed out it, yearning for warmth from the winter sun's rays. "You're the best boyfriend I've ever had—the best a girl could ever ask for." The tears stopped flowing, leaving only tracks in their wake. Her voice was only a little shaky. "I… I don't need to worry about you cheating on me, or… or running after other girls…" She gave a dry, mirthless chuckle as she watched Anna run out to the lake to be alone. "I… actually felt… sort of pretty around you…"

Remus's cheeks were moist at this declaration from her, and his adam's apple bobbed as he attempted to find his voice to comfort her, but he didn't know what to say. What _could_ one say in return to something like this? He wasn't even sure Sirius—one of the most dating-experienced students at Hogwarts—would know how to handle this situation. And here was Remus, one of the most dating-inexperienced wizards, and on top of it all a werewolf, who had to face this situation. The only logical thing that came to mind for him to say to her was…

"Eve… how _does_ this end?"

Eve immediately turned around. "You… You don't know?" She asked, with but a quiver of hope in her whisper. Approaching him carefully, as if a small animal that would bound away at a fast movement, she continued, "You really don't know?"

Remus shook his head and dropped his gaze as Eve slowly crossed to the cot and sat at the edge. He felt his resolve crashing; the wall he had quickly needed to construct around his heart began to crumble. "I… I'm so confused, Eve… I need to protect you from me… But…" He gazed tenderly at her, "for the time we've been courting… I have never felt more human in my life."

Eve touched her collarbone, charmed at his endearingly poetic expression. "Remus, when I said before that I would do anything for you, I meant it; I'll do anything to help you see that we definitely deserve a chance to be together." She turned her head to think for a moment on this before an idea struck. "This trial week... you were comfortable with it because it excluded the full moon factor, right?" Remus, not seeing exactly where this was going, nodded his head slowly. "So… how about we agree to continue courting, but for a month at a time. We will stop courting on the night of the full moon, and then the morning after, we can decide if we want to court again. I'm safe the one night of the month that you want me to be. Do you feel comfortable with that idea? Would you consider it?"

"You would do that? F-For _me_?" Remus asked incredulously, eyes wide, mouth agape. "But… But look what you're going through now… What _I'm_ putting you through… How could you want this?"

Lightly touching his hand, Eve replied with a sincere smile, "One morning of terror in exchange for a month of bliss; sounds like a reasonable trade-off to me."

Remus's senses were so acute at that moment they startled him. He could hear the furious pounding of Eve's heart behind her ribcage, could feel her pulse where her thumb touched his skin, smell the light lilac scent of her hair, see hope's faint glow brighten her face, and taste the similarity of the situation she was willing to put herself in for him to that of his own: she was willing to undergo the possibility of being dumped every month, just like he had to submit to a monthly terror of his own. By keeping her safe in this way—a manner that would cause her emotions react similarly to his at that time of the month—he could guarantee their happiness for as long as they were a couple.

Eve's heart swelled and quickened even more when a smile slowly but surely blossomed on Remus's face. His free hand moved to caress Eve's cheek, which warmed under his touch.

"How about we begin that month of bliss right now?" He murmured to her before leaning in to meld his lips with hers.

Eve released a startled noise at the surprise smooch, but relaxed when the shock subsided. Her mouth yielded to his, and for a moment, only his lips existed. He pulled a breath away, and watched with mild amusement as her lips remained puckered. Her breathing was shallow and jagged, and a few moments passed before her eyes slit open.

Gazing at him tenderly, dreamily, she felt as shocked as Phantom when Christine finally kissed him. "Remus," she breathed, "that's the first time you kissed me, the first time you initiated… as my boyfriend."

Remus's features softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"

"I know." Remus's hand stroked Eve's face, and she planted a peck into his palm, eyes locked on his all the while. "I missed it."

"Eve," Remus murmured, resting his forehead against hers.

"Shh, it's okay."

"I… I'm so sorry for everything I put you through." His thumb brushed up her cheekbone. "I'll make it up to you, I _promise_."

Something sparked in Eve's eyes. "How?"

Remus shrugged with his good shoulder. "Anything you want."

"_Anything_?" Eve's eyes glimmered. "I think I know how you can start." She nibbled on her bottom lip.

Remus half-smiled before bringing his mouth to hers. Eve's hand trailed up his arm and had just buried into his hair when Madam Pomfrey burst in, clucking, "Alright, Mr. Lupin, it's time for—"

Eve tore herself away from Remus, squeaked, and fell right off the cot. "_Ow!_"

Remus leaned over the edge of the cot. "Eve, are you alright?"

Eve rubbed her backside; she'd landed on her bum. Madam Pomfrey's glare and slack jaw made Eve hop—tenderly—into a chair, pulling a book that Madam Pomfrey must've left on the bedside counter into her lap and pretending to read it. Luckily for Eve, it was a hefty tome, and when she curled up enough, it swallowed her whole behind it. Unfortunately, she was too embarrassed to realize the book was upside-down.

"Well, Mr. Lupin," Madam Pomfrey began as the color left her face, "it seems we are feeling much better." She dropped the tray of potions onto the counter beside the cot. She moved to the opening in the curtains and told them. "Precisely the reason why I asked that this curtain be kept open." Throwing a look over her shoulder at the couple, she said firmly, "No shenanigans."

Eve peaked up over the book at the Healer, who allowed a half smile to upturn her lips at the young witch before she walked out. Truth be told, she was glad Remus finally had a girlfriend who really seemed to care for him. She just didn't need to see _how much_ Eve cared for him.

Sirius, who had been sitting outside the cubicle, heard this exchange and rose from his chair slowly.

"But… But I thought… You two are… _together_?" He asked, awe struck.

He could see Eve's head nod behind her book, while Remus smiled wide in affirmation.

Sirius turned his blue gaze to the door of the Hospital Wing and, taking off at a dead sprint, shouted out, "Anna! I'm coming, baby! Your Sirius is coming! And he's not leaving—_there_ you are!"

Eve and Remus exchanged a look over the top of the book at the conversation Sirius and Anna shared just outside the doorway. "Anna! Darling!"

"Don't you dare!" Eve heard Anna growl. The brunette, assured that the Healer wasn't returning soon, set the book aside, scooted the chair closer to his cot, and set to work viewing and sniffing the potions to figure out which ones to give Remus first. "I'm here for Eve as moral support; don't you dare try to sweet-talk me!"

"No need for moral support—they're back together! Just like we should be—what do you say?"

"Back together?" Eve lightly stroked the back of Remus's head, and could almost _hear_ the wheels turning in Anna's head before she continued, "Is _that_ what all this dumping and making up is about? You're doing whatever _they're_ doing, aren't you?"

"I'm just trying to be a good friend, and—Anna!"

Eve heard the clicking of heels approaching them and tipped the vial at Remus's lips so he could drink every last drop. When the sound promptly stopped at the cubicle entrance, Anna spoke. "So it's true."

Eve turned to her best friend and smiled, sliding her hand into Remus's. "Yes," she softly said.

Anna tossed a glare over her shoulder at Sirius, who was standing right behind her. "You are not off the hook, mister."

Remus snickered; this was the first girl Sirius had ever courted who had the upper hand. Anna turned at the sound. "And neither are you; do you have any idea what you've put Eve through?"

Eve's gray eyes widened. "Anna—"

"Don't." Anna dragged another chair up beside Remus's cot and sat up straight, authoritatively. "I'm going to do what I should've done the moment you began courting him." Eve's features relaxed and softened, and a twitch of her lip told Remus she was amused.

Anna turned primly to Remus. "I'm going to give you the Best Friend Interrogation."

Remus's eyes widened slightly, more than a little terrified at the idea. "Well… Well, then, if you get to give me one, I get to give you one for courting Sirius. That's my condition."

"Nope, mm-mm." Anna shook her head, tossing her blonde hair from side to side. "Doesn't work that way: the Best Friend Interrogation is designated for females to do to their best friend's boyfriend only, not the other way around. It's our… defense mechanism, if you will, to ensure that the boyfriend's intentions are honorable."

"Well… Well…" Remus straighted in his place on the cot, trying to gain the upper hand that he never had to begin with. "Well… What if _I'm_ not the one with the dishonorable intentions in our relationship?"

Anna stared at Remus for a moment, turned to look at Eve—who was re-corking the vials Remus had just drank from—and then returned her gaze to Remus. She quirked a brow, as if to say 'You're joking, right?'

"We're talking about the same person, right? Eve Pankhart? _Your_ girlfriend? How could Eve have dishonorable intentions?" Anna stood and crouched beside Eve to continue, speaking at Remus but also in the brunette's ear, "The girl blushes if I even ask her to describe a kiss she's shared with you." On cue, Eve's eyes widened embarrassedly and her face immediately pinked. "See what I mean? Not a dishonorable bone in her body."

Remus sighed, knowing he was in for it. "Okay, Anna." He straightened on his cot as she occupied the chair once more. "Do your worst."

"In light of recent events," Anna glanced discreetly at her best friend, "I plan to." Leaning forward, Anna clasped her hands and began, "So, Remus, what do you plan to do with your life after you graduate?"

Eve's eyes widened with an understanding Anna did not have—because of his condition, Remus was not going to find a job easily. She was worried this would be a tender subject for him. Her hand found his and she squeezed his fingers gently.

Remus smiled lightly at Eve to let her know he was alright. "I would like to return to Hogwarts as a professor."

Anna seemed mildly impressed. "Not bad—I always pictured Eve with an intellectual. Professors make decent money, and they are housed and fed in the school for free. Do you currently have a job?"

"In the summer, I usually do various jobs outside for people, like mowing their lawns, watering and preening their gardens and trees, and washing their cars. Things like that. I make decent money, especially since I've been doing it for so many years. And I do some housework for a couple elderly neighbors of mine, but I don't charge them." He shrugged. "I'm not sure if that counts."

Anna could see Eve making tender eyes at the back of Remus's head while he faced the blonde. With a half grin on her face, Anna responded, "Oh, it definitely counts for something." Crossing her legs, she continued, "What are your grades?"

"Straight Os, as always."

Eve smiled up at Remus and nuzzled her cheek at his arm, grinning up at Anna and mouthing to her, 'Admit it: he's wonderful.'

Anna smiled down at her friend. She still had one more question up her sleeve. "And now for the most important part." She leaned forward. "What are your intentions for courting my best friend?"

Remus was silent for a moment to gather his thoughts. "My intentions for courting Eve are to make her feel like the happiest, most beautiful girl in the world. If I can do that, I will consider myself successful." He gazed down at the brunette witch as he spoke, who beamed shyly up at him, cheeks glowing a soft pink, trying to silently let him know that she already was the happiest girl she could be.

"Furthermore," he continued, "I intend to treat her like the lady she is, allow her to lead the way in our relationship, and…" He broke off, and his eyes darted back and forth at the air above Eve's face, not knowing if he dare allow himself to continue.

"And… And I will finally allow _myself_… to be happy." Remus gazed into Eve's gray eyes, which softened at his declaration. The moments slowed as they stared deep into one another's eyes. Eve pressed her lips against the muscle of Remus's arm, a happy whisper of a smile present on her face.

Anna watched the two silently interact with one another with a wide, knowing smile on her face. Finally, a boy who truly cared about Eve. This was what she had been waiting for: for Remus to stop answering her questions and present to her who he was when he was with Eve. This was how Anna could truly catch a glimpse into Remus's real emotions; anyone could lie to her when she asked questions, but no one could fake the affectionate body language he and Eve were displaying.

"Well done," she quietly congratulated. Remus and Eve immediately looked at Anna; they almost forgot she was still in the room with them. "You pass." Rising from her seat, she added, "But allow me to make myself clear: I will not put up with another boyfriend of Eve's who doesn't treat her the way she should be treated. Eve is the sweetest, kindest, most compassionate girl I have ever met—it's why she's my best friend. If you hurt her, I will hurt you. Am I understood?"

"Completely." Remus wrapped an arm around Eve and glanced at her as he added, "In fact, I give you permission to hurt me if I ever wrong Eve."

Anna smirked. "I'll remember that." She turned to Sirius and, while leaving, said, "Come along, you, we have a _looong_ conversation ahead of us." She threw a smile over her shoulder at the happy couple. "Bye, Eve. I'll see you later. You too, Remus." Sirius followed her out with an 'I'm in for it' eye roll and a farewell to Remus.

Eve moved to sit beside Remus on the cot. "Oh, Remus." She pulled him into a hug. "You are just the sweetest boy, with all those things you were saying back there." He embraced her. "And I hope you know you do make me happy. I have never been so happy with a boy before."

"And _you_ make _me_ happy." Remus smiled and kissed her forehead. Pulling back slightly, he held her hand. "And I can't believe that I almost gave that up." He gazed down at her hand; it was so small in his. He swallowed and clutched her tightly as the fear he felt for hurting her resurfaced and gripped his heart. How could he ever make this feeling go away? He did not want to be battling his emotions for the entirety of their relationship. There had to be something he could do to ease them…

"Eve?" He began as an idea formed in his mind.

"Mm?" She looked up at him.

"In order for me to feel… feel safer about being with you… I need you to agree to something."

"Of course," Eve's eyes batted confusedly. "Anything."

"I need to… to train you." Remus could feel his heartbeat slow even as he said these words. "What to do in case you ever meet me in wolf form again."

Eve's eyebrows knitted. "But… but our agreement… We won't be together during the full moon, anyway."

"I know that, but… just in case. This is sort of like a back-up plan. I want to show you what you can do magically and unmagically to protect yourself from my wolf. Do you agree to this?" Remus held her gaze firmly, showing her that he meant what he said.

Eve slowly nodded. "Yes." She swept a hand up to cup his cheek. "I'll let you train me. It'll all be okay, Remus."

Remus squeezed her in a hug. "I know."

They stayed lost in each other's embrace for a long minute before Eve hopped up and exclaimed. "Oh, I almost forgot! I wanted to tell you…" she dug through her bag on the floor and produced the tarot cards Remus made for her.

"…That I love the cards you drew me. I have them with me all the time." She bit her lower lip excitedly as she shuffled the deck. "Here," she fanned them out for him face down, "pick one."

Remus smirked and selected a card before Eve did the same. "What did you get?"

Remus revealed The Lovers card to Eve, who grinned widely. "Which one did you get?" He inquired.

With a chuckle, she showed The Star tarot card. "Hmm," she murmured cheerfully. "It would seem that _we_ are written in the stars."

The pair leaned forward and shared a kiss, looking forward to their future together.

**Author's Note:** What does everyone think about the last installment of _Written in the Stars_? I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts in reviews! It's been great writing this fanfiction, and I hope that everyone has had as much fun reading it as I have writing it. I would like to thank all my readers, and especially my reviewers, for their time and feedback—it really helped me a lot! Thanks to everyone, and I hope all the readers and reviewers will read and review _Scripted in the Sky_ when I post it!

There was some confusion on what _Scripted in the Sky _is going to be like when I wrote a description of it in the last chapter. Basically, it is going to be a collection of one shots (and sometimes, stories that will be longer than a one shot) that may not be written in chronological order. There may not be a set plot, but the story will focus on Remus and Eve's life together set after _Written in the Stars_.

_Random Question:_ What does everyone think of the idea for _Scripted in the Sky_? _Chapter Question_: What does everyone think about the way things turned out for Remus and Eve? Did anyone think that it was going to end this way? Did anyone think that they would break up? _Trivia Question:_ This one is tricky! What is the name of the first tarot card that Eve pulled in the fanfiction?

_**NEW!:**_ _Questions to the characters: _This is for my readers and reviewers who want to ask a character(s) in this fanfiction a question. In your reviews, you can ask any character(s) a question(s) about something or someone in the fanfiction. I will randomly select a question from all the questions I receive for the character(s) to answer in the author's note of the next chapter (or, in this case, the first chapter of _Scripted in the Sky_). This is just a fun thing to add into a review. The questions must be appropriate to be asked and answered in the fanfiction (rated a low T or lower), or I will not consider them.


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